Ajinkya Rahane is not a muscular batsman who can hit big sixes: Sunil Gavaskar

Gavaskar believes that having a batsman like Rahane in the wings is a big advantage.

New Delhi: Former Indian skipper Sunil Gavaskar feels that even though Ajinkya Rahane has done well in all forms of the game, it will be difficult for the selectors to fit the Mumbai batsman in the playing XI of Team India's T20I set up.

In his column for The Times of India, Gavaskar said that: “The selectors, in fact, will be struggling to fit in Ajinkya Rahane, who has done so well with the bat in all forms of the game.

“Rahane is not a muscular batsman who can hit the big sixes but his strike rate is pretty impressive as he has the ability to pick the gaps and run quickly between wickets.”

However, the Little Master also believes that having a batsman like Rahane in the wings is a big advantage.

“Yuvraj (Singh) will be preferred to him (Rahane) as India can use his left-arm spinners, but the thought that they have someone like Rahane waiting in the wings must be a big plus,” wrote the 66-year-old.

As India will take on hosts Bangladesh in the Asia Cup opener on Wednesday, Gavaskar warned MS Dhoni & Co not to take the Tigers lightly.

“India will do well not to take it lightly. The T20 format is such that surprises can be round the corner and as a young Sri Lanka showed, the game can go the other way in a jiffy.”