Gambhir urges to stay in the present amid Rohit-Kohli questions as to whether they will play 2027 World Cup.
Will Rohit and Kohli play 2027 World Cup? ‘Stay in the present,’ says Gambhir.
Are Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma still included in India’s World Cup 2027 plans? Both Rohit and Kohli are now in their mid-30s and have retired from Test and Twenty20 international cricket. Rohit’s ODI captaincy has been given to Shubman Gill. What does it mean for their future if they are selected for the ODI series in Australia later this month?
Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of India, isn’t planning too far ahead.
“Look, 50-over World Cup is still two-and-a-half years away, and I think it is very important to stay in the present,” he said in a press conference after India beat West Indies 2-0 in their Test series. “That is very important. Obviously, they are quality players, they are coming back, their experience is going to be a handful in Australia as well. Hopefully, those two guys will have a successful tour, and more importantly, as a team, we will have a successful series.”
As the captain of the Test and ODI teams and the vice-captain of the T20I team, Gill can anticipate a hectic schedule with little time for rest in between series. Gambhir believed he was in an excellent position to carry out this task.
“First and foremost, I need one,” Gambhir joked when asked if Gill could benefit from having a mental-conditioning coach. “I think he is scoring runs, so he does not need any bit of it. So probably I think he is in a good space. I think all of us are in a good space.
“I think when you get the results, you are always in a good space. But if you don’t get the results, I think it is my responsibility to keep him and the entire group in a good space. That is my job. Sometimes it is not only about skills, but it is also about the mental aspect of the game as well. Especially guys who are playing all the three formats. It is not only about Shubman, it is about everyone in that dressing room. I have equal responsibility towards everyone.”
“Look, it’s a bit shameful. And I will be very honest with you. If you do not spare even a 23-year-old boy to run your YouTube channel, it’s unfair,” Gambhir said. “Because ultimately [Rana’s] father is not an ex-chairman [of selectors] or an ex-cricketer or an NRI. He plays cricket on his own merit. And he will continue to play on his own merit.
“Targeting someone individually is not fair. You can target people’s performance. And there are coaches and selectors who target people’s performance. But if you say such things to a 23-year-old kid, then social media amplifies it more, and in social media, you are told things in such a way, imagine [what it does to] the mindset [of the player]. In the future, your child can also play cricket, anyone’s child can play cricket.”