As Indian cricket faces a decline in the form of its two key players, captain Rohit Sharma and senior batter Virat Kohli, the responsibility of head coach Gautam Gambhir and his team to manage a changing squad has also been highlighted.
The current Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) has been challenging for the team, as they have struggled to find the right mix while facing an aggressive and well-balanced Australian team.
The ups and downs on the field are causing some problems off the field, with tension building up in the Indian dressing room. Reportedly Gambhir doesn’t agree with most of the players in the team, and the communication is not as smooth as it was during Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid’s time.
Since Gambhir took charge in July, it is said that Rohit hasn’t clearly explained to some of the older players why they were left out of the team at times there is no proper communication between management and players resulting in the declined performance of the team India during recent times.
A report stated that Gambhir was a ‘compromise’ option chosen by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). It also said that Gambhir was never BCCI’s top choice. Former India cricketer VVS Laxman was initially approached to be the head coach of India, replacing Dravid.
“He was never BCCI’s first choice and some of the well-known overseas names didn’t want to coach all three formats, so he was a compromise. Obviously, some other compulsions were also there,” a senior BCCI official quoted.
With the outcome of the BGT 2024-25 uncertain, Gambhir has little time until the Champions Trophy in February-March to show his value.
“There is a Test match to be played and then there is Champions Trophy. If the performance doesn’t improve, even Gautam Gambhir’s position wouldn’t be safe,” a senior BCCI official stated.
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Jasir Basharat is a cricket enthusiast capturing the heart of the game through insightful analysis and storytelling sharing his passion for the sport through engaging narratives. He is a business graduate from University of Kashmir.
