Gautam Gambhir Shuts Down Critics Questioning His Decisions With Powerful '140 Crore Indians' Remark

Head coach Gautam Gambhir didn't mince his words while reacting to the criticism he has faced over the selection of certain players and the batting order lineup after India breezed past Australia to confirm their seat in the final of the ongoing Champions Trophy. Fans have criticised Gambhir and his management for preferring KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant as the first-choice wicketkeeper batter and for fast-tracking young gun Harshit Rana. After India thrashed Australia in the semifinals and booked its place for the Champions Trophy final on Sunday, the Indian head coach was asked about the backlash he has faced over certain decisions. Gambhir replied simply to his doubters and critics: he "doesn't care about it."

"I don't care about it. I don't even care about it, honestly. My job is to be honest to 140 crore Indians and to my players in the dressing room. I don't care what people say about it, how they talk about it, whether they've got agendas, whether they've not got agendas, I don't even care about it. If I'm honest about my job, that is all that matters, and I can sleep in peace," Gambhir said at the post-match press conference on Tuesday night.

Apart from the selection of players, Axar Patel's promotion to the number five spot and the success he has reaped have been the talk of the town in the ongoing marquee event.

In the semi-finals against Australia, Axar offered stability with his composed 27(30) featuring a sole boundary and as many towering maximums. Overall he has thrived in his new role in the tournament, amassing 69 runs in two matches.

Gambhir outlined the reason behind shuffling the batting order and revealed that Axar's number five role allows him to express himself and exhibit his talent to the world.

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