India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has sparked concern among some experts with his experiments in the team’s middle-order ahead of the ICC Champions Trophy. While India’s 3-0 ODI series sweep against England boosts confidence for the upcoming tournament, and with Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli showing signs of a return to form, the Indian team management can feel relieved. However, certain aspects of the team still raise doubts for some experts, especially the lack of clarity regarding India’s middle-order. A report has suggested that Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar are at odds over the selection of Shreyas Iyer and Rishabh Pant, leading to heated discussions within the team.
Confusion in Team Management Over Wicketkeeper and Iyer’s Spot
When India’s preliminary squad for the Champions Trophy was announced, Agarkar had labeled Rishabh Pant as the No. 1 wicketkeeper in the team. However, Pant did not play a single ODI against England. Following the series, head coach Gambhir stated that KL Rahul is India’s No. 1 wicketkeeper in ODIs. These conflicting statements from two key members of the management have raised questions.
“Ultimately, it’s very difficult to talk about individuals, but all I can say is that if Pant is part of the squad, he will get an opportunity. But at the moment, KL is our number one wicketkeeper, and he’s delivered for us. When you have two wicketkeepers in the squad, you can’t play both with the kind of quality we’ve got. Hopefully, when Pant gets an opportunity, he’ll be ready for it,” Gambhir explained after the ODI series.
Meanwhile, in the first ODI against England, the team had planned to keep Shreyas Iyer on the bench, giving Yashasvi Jaiswal a chance at the top. However, an injury to Virat Kohli forced Iyer to play at No. 3, where he scored a fiery half-century. Since then, Iyer has been a regular in the lineup for the remaining two matches. Yet, there seems to be some inconsistency in the management’s approach toward Iyer’s spot as well.
In a conversation with the Times of India, former selector Devang Gandhi praised India’s coach Gautam Gambhir for successfully guiding the team through a period of transition. However, he also emphasized the need for more consistency in the middle-order selection.
“Gambhir deserves credit for working with a team in transition. Under his guidance, India has regained dominance in ODIs, similar to the form they displayed from 2016-2019. What the selectors and Gambhir need to focus on now is maintaining consistency in the middle order,” Gandhi shared with TOI.
“Back then, the batting was primarily driven by the top three – Rohit, Shikhar Dhawan, and Virat Kohli. The issue arose when the middle order wasn’t given enough time to settle in, leaving them uncertain of their roles. When the top order faltered in crucial matches, the rest of the batting line-up seemed clueless. Hopefully, that won’t happen this time. If they have identified Axar as the No. 5 batter, they must commit to giving him a consistent run in that role. Axar has performed well, but the management needs to decide if he can be a long-term solution who can anchor and dominate innings until the 2027 World Cup in South Africa,” Gandhi explained.
Referring to the recent ODIs against England, Gandhi noted that India’s management promoted bowling all-rounder Axar Patel ahead of KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya for two of the three matches, a move that raised eyebrows. Gandhi also questioned the decision to bench Shreyas Iyer, even though it was not executed, stating it didn’t make sense.
“The decision to bench Iyer at the start of the series was baffling, given that he has been outstanding in the 2023 ODI World Cup. Moreover, India has played very few ODIs since the World Cup,” Gandhi concluded.