This was a significant moment for current India head coach and two-time World Champion Gautam Gambhir, in addition to the team being led by the renowned batsman Rohit Sharma. After defeating New Zealand in the final, the Indian team has won the Champions Trophy 2025, their second straight championship.
The 43-year-old received criticism for his choices prior to the series and for his subpar play in the previous two Test series against Australia and New Zealand, respectively. However, his return silenced all the doubters as he guided the team to victory in his first ICC trophy as head coach.
Following this victory, it also appears that Gautam Gambhir may be defying tradition as an Indian head coach by travelling with the India A squad to assess opportunities in international cricket. Since none of his predecessors, including Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri, had done this, Gambhir’s move might be a significant one as a coach.
Since his return from Australia, Gautam Gambhir has been in communication with the BCCI.
Given that India won the Champions Trophy as a result of Gautam Gambhir insistence on specific wild card players, he has stated his wish to travel with the India ‘A’ team in order to gain a better understanding of the reserve pool. As a result, one might anticipate him making more statements in the future, a BCCI source informed The Times of India.
Reviving the India ‘A’ tours is one of the key challenges that was highlighted. The few ‘A’ series that followed Dravid’s departure from NCA were all shadow tours for a major series. More ‘A’ tours are necessary, according to Gambhir as well. He wants to assess the issue directly because of this,” the person continued.
Speaking of India’s forthcoming schedule, starting in June 2025, the country will meet England in a five-match Test series. For the side that has struggled in red-ball cricket over the past two series, this will be a crucial series. Gambhir will now want to prove himself as India’s coach in the longest format as well.