India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has once again failed to acknowledge the need of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in 2027 World Cup. He played down the idea of linking their current form directly to the World Cup which is two years away. However he did emphasise that Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad will keep receiving opportunities even when Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer return back in the team.
When Gambhir was asked about the two senior batters and where they fit in the team for India’s long-term vision, he clearly shut it off saying it was premature to draw any conclusions. Both Kohli and Rohit have come under immense scrutiny after they retired from Tests and T20Is but time and then both of them showed that they are the best in what they do shutting off all the critics.
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“They are world-class players and their experience is important in the dressing room. They’ve been doing it for a long time. Hopefully, they can continue doing the same, which is going to be important in the 50-over format,” Gambhir said
“First you got to realise that the ODI World Cup is two years away. It’s important to stay in the present, and that young boys coming into the set-up grab their opportunities.”
Because both Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer were out due to injuries, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Ruturaj Gaikwad were given a chance. Both the young boys (Jaiswal and Gaikwad) utilised the opportunity and showed the capabilities they carry by hitting stunning centuries. Gambhir also praised the two and mentioned that they should be ready whenever they get a chance.
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“Try and give them opportunities wherever we can, because we want a reasonable group of players – probably around 20-25 – before the World Cup. So whenever we are able to give them opportunities, we’ll do that. But once your captain and vice-captain are back, obviously they are your starters. They (Gaikwad and Jaiswal) should be ready whenever they get that opportunity,” Gambhir added.
