Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli and KL Rahul: A view that there does not seem to be anything wrong in terms of changing up the Indian T20 squad by replacing the more senior players such as KL Rahul, Virat Kholi, and Rohit Sharma with new young players.
He believes that there should be effective and efficient communication among the players and the team’s management to ensure that such a shift takes place on good terms.
At the start of January, the Indian team is scheduled to take Sri Lanka in the T20 matches at home. Up till now, the news is that the likes of KL Rahul and Virat Kholi have not been included and are asked to take time off for rest.
Moreover, Rohit Sharma is also to miss the series as he is expected to take longer in recovering from a finger injury the player sustained a few weeks ago against Bangladesh. In addition to that, Bhuvneshwar Kumar is also not part of the team. Because such big names are to miss out on this series, Hardik Pandya is named as the interim captain for the team in their bout against Sri Lanka.
It was expected to happen as many of the senior players are to miss out on playing. Hardik Pandya will have Suryakumar Yadav as his deputy.
Gautam Gambir in his statement while taking to start sports emphasized that there should be clarity and good communication among players and the selectors of the team. He further stated that it should not be considered wrong if the selectors look past many of the senior players as it is normal in cricket and has been done previously by many countries.
Gambhir on Virat Kohli and KL Rahul May Not Suit Their Plans for the T20 World Cup 2024
Gautam Gambir further added to this by stating that people tend to cry when the selectors refrain from the inclusion of certain respectable names in the squad. He stated that it’s not about those individuals but instead about what works best for the team when we talk about their representation in the 2024 world cup as the ultimate goal is to win that. Gambir added that young talents such as the likes of Suryakumar can win the world cup.
Gautam Gambhir stresses that there is a need for clear plans for the world cup held in 2024 and he cannot seem to find where Rohit, Kohli, and Rahul fit in those plans of his. He stated that is a tough decision and that he wishes to include players such as Suryakumar Yadav, and Ishan Kishan in the team. Moreover, he added that Prithvi Shaw, Rahul Tripathi, and Sanju Samson should also be part of the team as they can play fearless cricket.
When speaking to Star Sports, Gautam Gambir further added that the Indian cricket team spoke and worked on playing a specific template of cricket in the previous world cup which was to play aggressive cricket. However, when they were faced to play a crunch game, referring to their match against England in the semifinal, the template did not work in their favor.
He believes that the new generation of players will be able to do a better job and will be able to play the T20 cricket that everyone wishes India to play. Moreover, he feels if the younger players continue to make the most of the opportunities that have been given to them, it will be a difficult situation for the player that has been currently dropped or rested.
Gautam Gambir also had something to say about Rishabh Pant who was not part of both the squads against Sri Lanka. Gambir believes that the player should focus mainly on playing test cricket.
