Former Indian wicket-keeper bat Deep Dasgupta has urged team management to back batters, especially Tilak Varma, to bowl more amid the T20I series against Zimbabwe. In the second T20I, Shreyas Iyer gave the ball to Tilak Varma and Abhishek Sharma after Prince Yadav was injured after bowling 1.2 overs.

While Sharma returned with impressive figures of 3-17 in 2.5 overs he bowled, Varma bagged 1-9 in a solitary over he bowled. Abhishek Sharma accounted for Newman Nyamhuri, Richard Ngarava, and Brad Evans whereas Varma dismissed Ryan Burl.

Furthermore, Prince Yadav and debutant Yash Thakur scalped two wickets apiece as Zimbabwe were bowled out for 129 in the run-chase of 220.

“Give Tilak an over every now and then in every match. If they are bowling in the nets, then why not give him an over here and there? It cannot happen that you don’t get a couple of overs in a T20 game from your top six, that becomes a must. Now that Hardik is injured, someone has to bowl in the top six,” Deep Dasgupta said on his YouTube channel.

The former Indian gloveman said India can not have a top six that doesn’t bowl at all.

“You have to select the squad, or a pool of players, that covers enough left-handed and right-handed options, enough all-rounders. When you make a pool of like 25 players, you have to keep in mind that there are like-for-like options. Also, we have got to encourage the top-order batters to bowl. You can’t have a top six that does not bowl at all. Encourage them to bowl in the nets,” Dasgupta said.

Furthermore, Tilak Varma scored a fine knock of 60 runs off just 29 balls in the second game. He added 94 runs off 43 balls with Ishan Kishan, who scored 81 off 44.

The third and final T20I between India and Zimbabwe will take place at Harare on Sunday.