 "Gautam Gambhir has admitted he is under constant pressure after New Zealand series loss. Image: AP")
The Indian cricket team has entered a new era under Gautam Gambhir’s leadership as head coach, with younger players taking charge across formats. Rohit Sharma has already been removed as captain in all three formats and has been limited to ODIs only. While Shubman Gill has been appointed Rohit’s successor in Tests and ODIs, Suryakumar Yadav has been looking after the T20I side.
Former India captain Virat Kohli has also retired from Tests and T20Is and is now available only for ODIs. Meanwhile, veteran spinner R Ashwin has retired from all formats, and Mohammed Shami has been sidelined for a while. Ravindra Jadeja, who stepped away from T20Is last year, is currently selected only for Test cricket. The transition is quite visible in the current Indian team, with several senior players missing.
Gambhir on India’s new leadership
In an interview on JioHotstar ahead of the second Test against West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium, Gambhir clarified his philosophy on leadership. His comment has come amid the ongoing debate surrounding Rohit’s captaincy snub. There has been talk of Rohit being forcibly removed from the ODI captaincy ahead of the Australia tour, with some speculating that Gambhir may have played a role in the decision.
“Ultimately, Suryakumar Yadav is still the leader of the T20I team. It’s his T20 team, not mine. It’s Shubman’s Test and ODI team, not mine,” Gambhir said.
The 2011 ODI World Cup-winning opener admitted that he has been under constant pressure since India’s home Test series loss to New Zealand late last year. It was India’s first-ever home Test series defeat to the Kiwis and their first home series loss in more than a decade.
“If I am being honest, and speak from the heart, I don’t think that in my coaching tenure, I can ever forget that, and I should never forget that. I have told this to the boys as well, it is important to look forward, but sometimes it is also important to remember the past as well. Everyone thought we would roll over New Zealand. In that dressing room, we need to keep reminding that New Zealand happened,” Gambhir added.