'Gambhir era not holding back': India head coach slammed for dropping Sai Sudharsan after his debut match

The Indian team management, led by new head coach Gautam Gambhir, is facing criticism after dropping young batter Sai Sudharsan for the second Test against England at Edgbaston. Sudharsan, who made his debut in the first Test of the series, was left out after just one game, a move that hasn’t gone down well with many fans.

Captain Shubman Gill announced three changes at the toss. Jasprit Bumrah was rested, while Shardul Thakur and Sudharsan were dropped. In their place, Akash Deep, Washington Sundar, and Nitish Kumar Reddy were brought in. While Bumrah’s omission was explained as part of workload management, the decision to leave out Sudharsan came as a surprise.

Also Read: 'No ifs and buts. He should have played': Shastri blasts Gill-Gambhir for resting Bumrah in must-win game

Gambhir slammed for dropping Sudharsan

The 23-year-old left-hander had a great IPL 2025 season, finishing as the tournament’s top run-scorer. Many believed he had earned a longer run in the Test side. However, after just one opportunity, he has been left out of the playing XI. Fans expressed disappointment and anger on social media, questioning the Gambhir-led management’s decision.

-Sai Sudharsan dropped for no reason
-Kuldeep is yet to get a game

Gambhir era not holding back 🥵 pic.twitter.com/SVYXj1dPkd

— TukTuk Academy (@TukTuk_Academy) July 2, 2025

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— Sameer Allana (@HitmanCricket) July 2, 2025

THE NUMBERS 3 OF INDIA FROM BGT :

1st Test - Padikkal
2nd Test - Shubman Gill
3rd Test - Gill ( Dropped)
4th Test - kl Rahul
5th Test - Gill
1st Test - Sai Sudharsan
2nd Test - Karun Nair (Sai dropped)

- It's Gautam Gambhir Era in test Cricket

pic.twitter.com/efs2t4Q6sl

— MANU. (@IMManu_18) July 2, 2025

Feel for Sai Sudharsan. 💔
Dropped after just 1 Test — a tough call, purely due to team combination.
He showed promise. Hope he gets another shot soon. pic.twitter.com/o8zFmAcVot

— Choudhary kapil (@choudhary_119) July 2, 2025

Also Read: Gill explains why Kuldeep isn't part of India XI for Edgbaston Test: 'We were tempted to play Kuldeep but...'