If Hardik is unfit, you have Vijay but I have my doubts about his impact: Gambhir
New Delhi: Former India opener Gautam Gambhir feels Virat Kohli's team will keep facing the problem of imbalance till it finds a suitable replacement for a half-fit Hardik Pandya as his nearest competitor Vijay Shankar is not of the same level.
Pandya is playing currently as a specialist batsman and is not sure when he would be fully fit to bowl in ODI cricket. India lost to Australia by 66 runs in a high-scoring series opener in which the visitors missed a sixth bowling option.
Asked if there is a problem of balance, the hero of two World Cup triumphs couldn't agree more.
"Big-time and this has been happening what -- since the last World Cup. If Hardik is not fit (to bowl), where is your sixth bowling option," Gambhir was quoted as saying by ESPN Cricinfo.
"It's only Vijay Shankar that I can think of but does he have the same impact batting at No 5 or 6. Can he give you seven or 8 overs, I have my doubts," the straight-talking Gambhir said.
According to Gambhir, this is the kind of problem that can't be sorted even if an opener of Rohit Sharma's caliber comes back.
"You can talk (about) putting in Manish Pandey, even if and when Rohit Sharma comes back in the XI, the problem you are facing now you will be facing then. There is no one in the top six who can actually give you a couple of overs," he said.
While Marcus Stoinis and Glenn Maxwell are already in the playing XI as pace and spin bowling all-rounders respectively, Australia has a number of back-up men with multiple skill-sets, including rookie Cameron Green, who is set to make his international debut.
"And if you see the Australian side, there is Moises Henriques, who can give you a couple of overs, there is Sean Abbott who is bowling all-rounder. They have Daniel Sams who can both bowl and bat.
"From the Indian point of view, if Hardik is unfit where is the replacement?"
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Telangana first state to implement SC categorisation, issues orders
Hyderabad (PTI): Telangana on Monday issued a government order on the implementation of Scheduled Castes (SC) categorisation, making it the first state in the country to do so officially, Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy said.
Telangana government had earlier appointed a commission headed by retired High Court judge Justice Shameem Akther on SC categorisation, which made recommendations that the 59 Scheduled Caste (SC) communities be divided into three groups viz I, II, and III for the total reservations of 15 per cent in government jobs and education.
"The following Act of the Telangana Legislature received the assent of the Governor of Telangana on 8, April 2025 and the said assent is hereby first published on the 14th April 2025 in the Telangana Gazette for general information," the GO said.
The issuance of GO coincides with the birth anniversary of BR Ambedkar, architect of Indian Constitution.
According to the commission report, group-I one comprising 15 socially, economically and educationally disadvantaged SC communities, are given one per cent reservation.
Group-II, including 18 moderately benefited SC communities, are provided a nine per cent quota while the Group-III comprising 26 significantly benefited SC communities, are given five per cent reservation.
Addressing a press conference, Minister Reddy, who headed a sub-committee on SC Categorisation, said the first copy of the GO was given to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy this morning.
"From today, from this moment, SC categorisation will be implemented in Telangana in employment and education. We have issued a GO to that extent and gave the first copy to the CM," he told reporters.
"Telangana is the first state to implement the SC categorisation after the Supreme Court’s verdicts," Reddy said.
The minister alleged that earlier governments in Telangana confined themselves to pass resolutions for the categorisation and never took forward.
He further said all job vacancies in the state government now will be filled according to the sub-categorisation for SCs.
The Irrigation Minister further said the cabinet sub-committee did an extensive exercise in collecting the opinion of all the stakeholders.
He also said if the SC population goes up in 2026 census, the reservations for it would go up accordingly.
The Telangana Legislature in February accepted the recommendations of Justice Akther on SC categorisation, rejecting an advice that creamy layer should be exempted from reservations.
The Scheduled Castes (Rationalisation of Reservation) Bill, 2025 was passed last month. The Supreme Court gave a verdict last year in favour of categorisation.
