File photo of Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma.© BCCI
With the veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli leaving the Test format, India now face a huge challenge to fill the void left by the two players. The team will get a replacement in batting but the overall impact that the two players bought together might not be matched anytime soon. Both Rohit and Virat brought in a huge experience with themselves of late, alongside their superb batting and on-field tactics that helped the team prosper over the years. With the duo not being part of the Test side anymore, the focus now shifts to the Indian captain that is yet to be named in the format and head coach Gautam Gambhir, who will be having a huge task of leading a lesser experienced side.
Saba Karim, former India wicketkeeper and also an ex-BCCI selector, believes that Gambhir will have a huge role to play in the new-look team.
“(Gautam) Gambhir becomes the most important person here. He has to give confidence to the players. The first thing he needs to do is understand the new captain, the vision he has and the brand of cricket he wants the team to play,” Karim told Times of India.
Devang Gandhi, who is also an ex-India player and a former national selector, said that Gambhir should back players like Rishabh Pant, who had a poor run recently.
“Gambhir has clear ideas about how he wants his team to approach a game. But he needs to be the man who empowers players and creates leaders in the team. I’m sure he’ll back someone like Rishabh Pant, who hit a rough patch in Australia, and give him more confidence on the upcoming, tough tour of England,” Gandhi said.
India are set to tour England for a five-match Test series, starting June 20. It will be the start of campaign for the Indian team in the World Test Championship cycle 2025-27. The squad for the series is expected to be announced on May 23. Some new faces could make a cut in the team as India aim to put a better show this time around, unlike last cycle in which they disappointingly missed out a spot in the final.
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