Ravi Bishnoi must add variety or batters will keep targeting him: Wasim Jaffer
Synopsis
Wasim Jaffer's verdict on Ravi Bishnoi is blunt: bowl at 100 km/h with limited turn and international batters will eventually figure you out. After a match-defining 0/60 at Old Trafford, the question is whether Bishnoi can reinvent his game fast enough — or whether India's deep spin bench makes the decision for the selectors.
Key Takeaways
Ravi Bishnoi conceded 0 for 60 in four overs , including 29 runs in the 17th over , as England won the second T20I at Old Trafford by four wickets .
Wasim Jaffer said batters have started reading Bishnoi because he bowls at nearly 100 km/h with limited turn.
Rajasthan Royals dropped Bishnoi mid-IPL season, preferring Yash Raj Punja — a pattern Jaffer flagged as a warning sign.
Kuldeep Yadav is absent from the current squad; Shivang Kumar has emerged as a potential alternative after strong IPL showings for Sunrisers Hyderabad .
Jaffer said the Ajit Agarkar -led selection panel appears to be grooming Bishnoi for the next ICC World Cup , but stressed he must add variety to remain effective.
Former India opener Wasim Jaffer has issued a sharp warning to leg-spinner Ravi Bishnoi, stating that international batters have begun to read his bowling with increasing ease — and that without significant variation in his game, his place in the national setup could come under threat. Jaffer made the remarks on his YouTube channel on Sunday, 6 July, a day after Bishnoi's costly performance in the second T20I against England at Old Trafford, Manchester.
The Old Trafford Collapse
Bishnoi's 17th over of the match proved decisive — he conceded 29 runs in that single over, including three back-foot no-balls, as England mounted an improbable chase to clinch a four-wicket victory. His final figures read a costly 0 for 60 in four overs, and England took a 1-0 lead in the five-match T20I series.
What Jaffer Said
'I mean, I feel that once batters get used to Ravi Bishnoi, it becomes easier to face him. He bowls at almost 100 km/h, and at that pace, his leg-spin doesn't turn a great deal. Most of the time, it's either a topspinner or he's trying something different,' Jaffer said.
'But eventually there's a certain pace to his bowling. He also bowls the googly, but it seems that batters have started to figure out how to play him,' he added. Jaffer's core concern is that Bishnoi's consistency of pace — while a strength in domestic cricket — has become a liability at the international level, where batters have the time and data to prepare specifically for his rhythm.
The IPL Warning Sign
Jaffer pointed to the most recent Indian Premier League (IPL) season as an early indicator of the problem. Rajasthan Royals, Bishnoi's franchise, dropped him from their playing eleven mid-tournament, opting for Yash Raj Punja instead. 'They gave him opportunities in the initial matches, and he did reasonably well, but after that they left him out,' Jaffer noted. The franchise's decision, according to Jaffer, reflects a broader pattern of batters adjusting to Bishnoi's predictable pace profile.
India's Spin Depth and Selection Calculus
Jaffer was also careful to contextualise Bishnoi's situation within India's growing spin-bowling talent pool. He noted that Kuldeep Yadav was not part of the current squad, and that Shivang Kumar's performances for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL had put him firmly on the selectors' radar. 'India has plenty of bowling options. It's not as if India doesn't have options,' Jaffer said.
He acknowledged that the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee appears to be backing Bishnoi with a longer-term view — specifically the next ICC World Cup — giving the young spinner time to develop. 'You back young players and give them opportunities to see whether they can succeed at ICC events and whether you can build your team around them,' Jaffer explained. 'Ravi Bishnoi is a good bowler, but I feel he needs to add a bit more variety to his bowling,' he concluded.
What Needs to Change
The criticism from Jaffer — a domestic batting legend who recently signed on as mentor for the Hyderabad team on a two-year contract — carries weight precisely because it comes from someone who faced elite spin bowling throughout his career. The consensus emerging from analysts is that Bishnoi must develop a slower, sharper-turning leg-break or a more deceptive googly to prevent batters from simply timing his stock delivery. How quickly he adapts could determine whether he remains India's first-choice T20 spinner heading into the next global event.
Point of View
But the deeper issue is structural: India has persisted with Bishnoi's pace-heavy leg-spin in a format where data analytics means batters arrive at the crease with a blueprint. The selectors' World Cup logic is understandable — you need to know if a bowler can handle pressure before the tournament — but the Old Trafford implosion, compounded by his IPL axing, suggests the learning curve may be steeper than the timeline allows. With Kuldeep Yadav waiting in the wings and Shivang Kumar knocking, the selectors may soon face a harder conversation about whether patience is a strategy or a liability.
NationPress
5 Jul 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is Wasim Jaffer critical of Ravi Bishnoi's bowling?
Jaffer believes Bishnoi's high bowling speed of nearly 100 km/h, combined with limited turn, makes him predictable for international batters who have had time to study his patterns. He pointed to Bishnoi's costly 0 for 60 in the second T20I against England and his mid-season axing by Rajasthan Royals in the IPL as evidence that batters are reading him more easily.
What happened to Bishnoi in the second T20I against England?
Bishnoi conceded 29 runs in a single over — the 17th — including three back-foot no-balls, as England chased down the target to win by four wickets at Old Trafford. His overall figures were 0 for 60 in four overs, making it one of his most expensive outings in international cricket.
Who are the alternative spin options available to India?
According to Jaffer, India has several options beyond Bishnoi. Kuldeep Yadav, though absent from the current squad, remains available. Shivang Kumar also impressed for Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL and has caught the selectors' attention. Jaffer stressed that India is not short of spin-bowling talent.
Why did Rajasthan Royals drop Bishnoi during the IPL?
Jaffer noted that Rajasthan Royals gave Bishnoi opportunities in the early matches of the IPL season, but dropped him mid-tournament in favour of Yash Raj Punja. He cited this as a sign that franchise-level analysis had also identified the predictability issue in Bishnoi's bowling.
What changes does Bishnoi need to make to his game?
Jaffer said Bishnoi needs to add more variety — specifically developing deliveries that deviate sharply from his standard pace-heavy stock ball. Without a more deceptive googly or a slower, sharper-turning leg-break, Jaffer warned that batters will continue to target him as they grow more accustomed to his rhythm.
