‘We don’t drop anyone’ – India head coach Gautam Gambhir puts an end to selection debate

Gautam Gambhir (Twitter)

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir recently addressed the ongoing debate surrounding player selection, emphasizing inclusion rather than exclusion. The new head coach’s approach builds a supportive environment for established players and emerging talents.

After the return of veteran players like Virat Kohli, KL Rahul, and Rishabh Pant to the national side, their comeback has naturally impacted the playing opportunities for younger cricketers who had impressed during their absence, such as Sarfaraz Khan and Dhruv Jurel in the recent England Test series. Gambhir clarified the team management’s take on player selection. 

“It will always be a challenge because there is so much (in Indian cricket) and ultimately, you can only select XI. But if you can select an XI, it can do the job for you (that’s all that matters). And I have been a firm believer that we don’t drop anyone. We select anyone. So there’s a way of looking at things,” Gambhir told Jio Cinema.

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Once you get the opportunity, you should be absolutely ready to grab it: Gautam Gambhir

The former opener mentioned the pool of talent in Indian cricket and the difficulty in narrowing it down to just eleven players for each match. However, he believes the focus remains on selecting the best possible combination to achieve victory. 

“A lot of people from outside might think that he’s been dropped, but it’s not about dropping someone. It’s about selecting someone else to do the job for the team. If the other person can do the job for the team, then people will have to wait for their opportunities. That’s how cricket goes. Sometimes, you have to wait for a much longer period of time than you should. Once you get the opportunity, you should be absolutely ready to grab it,” he added.

Under Gambhir’s tenure as head coach, the team whitewashed Sri Lanka in T20Is in August this year, followed by an ODI series loss, while the ongoing Test series against Bangladesh started positively with a win in Chennai.

The second Test in Kanpur faces weather-related delays, with Day 2 completely washed out, both teams are waiting to resume play. The scorecard stands with Bangladesh at 107/3 after 35 overs, following Indian skipper Rohit Sharma opting to field first after winning the toss.