"Missing 3 Most Experienced...": Gautam Gambhir's Blunt 'Kohli, Rohit, Ashwin' Reminder
India head coach Gautam Gambhir's blunt 'Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Ajit Agarkar' reference in team huddle set expectations clear from Shubman Gill & Co.
- Gautam Gambhir sets clear expectations for Shubman Gill's team ahead of the England Test series.
- The Indian team faces challenges with the retirements of key players Kohli, Rohit, and Ashwin.
- Gambhir emphasizes focusing on opportunities rather than the absence of experienced players.
India coach Gautam Gambhir set expectations clearly from the Shubman Gill-led team as they prepare for the 5-match Test assignment against England. With the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin retired, the Indian team has a tough task ahead of them. England hasn't been a happy hunting ground for the men from the subcontinent, but the challenges this time are multifold. Gambhir, however, wants the new crop of players to focus on the opportunity they have at hand, over the people they are missing.
In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Gambhir gave his players two options - either look at the fact that the team is missing three of its most experienced players, or the opportunity of doing something special.
"There are two ways of looking at this. One is that we are without are three most experienced players (Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin), or we have a phenomenal opportunity to do something special for the country. When I look around this group, I think there's hunger, passion, and the commitment to do something special. If we make sacrifices, if we come out of our comfort zones, if we start fighting, not every day, but every session, every hour, every ball, I think we can have a memorable tour. Make sure we start that from today only. We start enjoying playing for the country because there's no bigger honour," Gambhir said in the huddle.
Both Virat and Rohit retired from Test cricket in the middle of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025 season, just days before the Ajit Agarkar-led selection committee was to pick the squad for the England tour. It isn't yet known what was communicated to them by the BCCI and the selectors, which prompted the sudden retirement call.Â
As for Ashwin, he decided to quit international cricket altogether during the Australia tour, having understood that he is no longer a certainty in India's Test team.
India Cricket Team
England Cricket Team
Virat Kohli
Rohit Sharma
Ravichandran Ashwin
Gautam Gambhir