"Rohit Sharma Will Faint": India Legend Slams Gautam Gambhir, Says Coach Backtracked

25.07.2024 - 06:17 sports.ndtv.com

Gautam Gambhir's appointment as head coach of the Indian team has raised doubts over the future of veteran batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

Both Rohit and Virat announced their T20I retirements after the T20 World Cup final last month. While the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Jay Shah assured that Rohit will lead the team during the ICC Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship (WTC) in 2025, it is not clear whether he and Virat will be available for the next ODI World Cup, which is scheduled to be held in 2027.

During a press conference, Gambhir also re-iterated that both Rohit and Kohli are in his plans, saying that the duo has plenty of cricket left in them.

Former India Krishnamachari Srikkanth has pointed out how Gambhir had earlier hinted that senior players will have no place in his team if they fail to perform in the T20 World Cup. "Gautam Gambhir has taken a U-turn.

cricket India Cricket Team Virat Kohli Rohit Sharma Gautam Gambhir Jay Shah India

Former India head coach Rahul Dravid hailed skipper Rohit Sharma and said it was his privilege to work with the 37-year-old. Rohit has earned laurels in white-ball cricket, and his impressive tally speaks volumes about his prowess in limited-over cricket. Rohit has garnered 14,846 runs, three double hundreds, 33 hundreds, and 87 fifties in ODIs and T20Is combined. Apart from his mouth-watering tally, Rohit is a two-time ICC T20 World Cup (2007 and 2024) and ICC Champions Trophy winner. He also holds the record for most sixes in the shortest format.

Four Top Stars Set To Miss Duleep Trophy, Says Report. Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma And...

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, R Ashwin, and Jasprit Bumrah will not be available for India's season-opening Duleep Trophy, which begins on September 5 as quoted by ESPNcricinfo. The teams for the tournament will be selected later this month by the panel led by Ajit Agarkar. However, most of the other centrally contracted players are expected to participate in the four-team competition. Among the players who will draw significant attention are KL Rahul, who missed four of the five Tests against England earlier this year due to injury, and Rishabh Pant, who might be playing his first red-ball match since fully recovering from a car accident in December 2022.

Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli Likely To Play Duleep Trophy, Says Report. Only Player Exempted Is...

After a disappointing ODI series against Sri Lanka, the Indian men's cricket team gears up for a grueling Test schedule, also the start of Gautam Gambhir's stint as head coach in red-ball cricket. Gambhir has profoundly expressed the importance of domestic red-ball cricket and he is keen to implement the same for Indian national team players ahead of the start of the Test season. A report has claimed that Gambhir is keen to see the likes of Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, as well as seniors like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli participate in the Duleep Trophy.

"It Is A Joke": Rohit Sharma's Brutally Honest Verdict On Series Loss Against Sri Lanka

India slumped to an ODI series loss on Sri Lankan soil for the first time in 27 years after Rohit Sharma-led side lost the third ODI by 110 runs against Sri Lanka on Wednesday. Chasing a target of 249, India were completely outplayed as they were bundled out for just 138 on a pitch that assisted the spinners. India ended up losing the three-match series 2-0 and it was a big setback for head coach Gautam Gambhir who did not fare well in his first assignment. Following the match, Rohit said that the result is not a big concern for the side and even if the team lost the series, it was not the "end of the world".

"He Isn't Foreign Coach": Ex-India Star's Blunt 'Kohli-Rohit Verdict' On Gautam Gambhir's Stance

The ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka were quite important from the perspective of the Indian cricket team as they were the first assignments of new head coach Gautam Gambhir. Rahul Dravid's tenure as the head coach came to an end following the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph and Gambhir was announced right away to take over the role. The first team selection for the new head coach came with some new faces but the ODI squad included two experienced names, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While the tour of Sri Lanka was being seen as an opportunity to try new combinations with young talents, Gambhir insisted on including Kohli and Rohit. Former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra was asked about the decision and he believes that including Rohit-Virat was not the right call.

After ODI Tie, Rohit Sharma Gives Verdict On India vs Sri Lanka Result

India captain Rohit Sharma believes that the 231-run target set by Sri Lanka in the first ODI at the R Premadasa Stadium was "gettable". After restricting Sri Lanka on 230/8, it turned out to be a topsy-turvy chase for the Indian team. Despite the explosive start provided by Rohit (58 in 47 balls, with seven fours and three sixes), the chase became a tantalizing affair for the Indian team. However, the Indian team ended up losing wickets towards the end, which ended the game in a draw in the absence of Super Over.