Cricket : Team India’s 3-0 victory over England in the ODI series enhances their trust ahead of the opening match of the ICC Champions Trophy. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are also showing signs of regaining form, thus Indian team management should breathe a sigh of relief. However, several observers remain sceptical of key parts of the team. One of their primary concerns for the future is a lack of understanding about India’s middle-order. In fact, according to reports, head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar are at odds over the selection of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, sparking a heated argument within the team as well.
When Agarkar chose India’s preliminary Champions Trophy lineup, he appointed Rishabh Pant as the team’s first wicketkeeper. However, he did not play a single ODI against England. Following the series’ conclusion, head coach Gambhir reaffirmed that KL Rahul is India’s No. 1 wicketkeeper in One-Day Internationals. The contradicting remarks from the two pillars of management do not present a positive picture.
“Ultimately, talking about individuals is impossible, but all I can say is that if Pant is on the roster, he will be given an opportunity. However, KL is clearly our number one wicketkeeper right now, and he has delivered for us. With our current talent, we can’t play both wicketkeepers in the squad. Hopefully, if he [Pant] gets an opportunity, he should be prepared,” Gambhir remarked following the completion of the ODI series.
In the first ODI against England, the squad had planned to put Shreyas Iyer on the bench and give Yashasvi Jaiswal a chance at the top. However, Virat Kohli’s injury forced Iyer to bat at No. 3, where he scored a scorching half-century. Since then, the hitter has become a regular in the series’ remaining two matches.
In an interview with the news paper, former selector Devang Gandhi praised India coach Gautam Gambhir for assisting the Indian squad in navigating this shift, but urged him to improve consistency in middle-order selection.
“Gambhir deserves praise for working with a team in transition. He believes India will continue to dominate the ODI format, as they did from 2016 to 2019. “What the selectors and Gambhir must be mindful of is consistency in the middle order,” said Gandhi.
How much impact will this change have on Cricket ICC Champions Trophy 2025 ?
“The top three – Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli – were mostly responsible for the batting. What occurred then was that no one else had time to settle down after No. 4. The remainder of the batters were unsure about their roles.When the top order faltered in those big matches, the rest of the batting appeared bewildered. Hopefully, that will not be the case this time. If they’ve identified Axar as a No. 5 batter, they should try to give him a run at that spot. Axar has done well, but management must decide if he is going to be a long-term alternative who can rebuild and dominate an innings till the 2027 World Cup in South Africa.” Gandhi spoke.
For two of the three ODIs against England, the management chose bowling all-rounder Axar Patel over KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya, which surprised many. Gandhi believes that even the decision to bench Iyer, which could not be carried out, did not make sense.
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