In a recent statement, India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir emphasized inclusiveness over exclusion in the ongoing discussion on player selection. The new head coach’s strategy creates a nurturing atmosphere for both seasoned players and up-and-coming prospects.
Younger cricketers who had impressed during their absence, like Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel in the most recent England Test series, have naturally had fewer opportunities to play after the return of veteran players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant to the national side. Gambhir explained the thinking behind player selection by the team management.
“Because there is so much to choose from in Indian cricket, it will always be difficult to select just an XI. However, all that important is that it can complete the task for you if you can choose an XI. Furthermore, I firmly think that we never let anyone down. We choose anybody we choose. Thus, there are several perspectives,” Gambhir said to Jio Cinema.
When the chance presents itself, you should be well prepared to seize it: Gautam Gambhir
The previous opener talked about how tough it is to select just eleven players for each match due to the abundance of skill in Indian cricket. He does think that choosing the ideal combo to win is still the key priority.
“Many outsiders may believe that he has been dropped, but dropping someone is not the issue here. It’s about choosing a replacement to carry out the task for the team. People will have to wait for their opportunities if someone else can complete the task for the team. That is cricket’s way. There are instances when having to wait far longer than necessary is necessary. You should be fully prepared to seize the chance as soon as it presents itself,” he continued.
As head coach, Gambhir led the side to a T20I series victory over Sri Lanka in August of this year, an ODI series defeat, and a strong start to the upcoming Test series against Bangladesh with a victory in Chennai.
Due to weather-related delays on Day 2, when play washed out entirely, both teams are waiting to resume the second Test in Kanpur.
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After 35 overs, Bangladesh were at 107/3 on the scorecard. Indian captain Rohit Sharma chose to field first after winning the toss.
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