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Gautam Gambhir addressed his first media conference as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team on Monday, July 22. His maiden assignment will be the upcoming multi-format tour of Sri Lanka. Two separate squads were announced for the T20I and ODI series, and there was a lot of discussion following several surprising decisions.
With the retirement of veterans Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja, India are all set to start a new chapter in the shorter format of the game. Hardik Pandya, who was Rohit's deputy in the 2024 T20 World Cup, was expected to take over the captaincy. But it was Suryakumar Yadav who won the race.
The likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad and Abhishek Sharma, despite performing well in the Zimbabwe series, failed to find a spot in the T20I squad. Sanju Samson, who scored a match-winning hundred in his last ODI against South Africa, found his name missing from the ODI squad. Along with Gambhir, Chief Selector Ajit Agarkar also attended the conference and the duo had to counter several such queries from the media.
Rohit and Kohli will now focus only on ODIs and Tests. However, the question has been raised as to what the future holds for the elite pair in cricket. Gambhir found it a difficult question to answer, but said both have a “lot of cricket left in them”. The former India cricketer noted that both can play till the 2027 World Cup if fitness permits.
“They have shown what they can deliver on the big stage. Both have a lot of cricket left in them. The Champions Trophy, if they keep their fitness then even the 2027 World Cup. Looking at what they can deliver, they are still world-class and any team would want to have both of them,” Gambhir said.
Gambhir on his relationship with Virat Kohli
Gambhir and Kohli have shared an intense rivalry on the field over the years and it escalated during the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023 RCB vs LSG clash. However, the two shared a warm hug the following season when Gambhir served as KKR's mentor. It was an indication that the two had buried the hatchet. Asked about his relationship with the star batter, Gambhir said he shares a very good relationship and hailed Kohli as a "thorough professional".
"Very good for the TRPs but my relationship with him is not public. On the field, everyone will fight for their own team. At the moment, we are representing India. I share a very good relationship. I have had lots of chances to talk to him. It is not important what we discuss. The most important thing is we both have to work hard to make India proud. He is a thorough professional, a world-class player, and that is going to continue,” the two-time World Cup winner said.