We wished to play this sport as a must-win: Gambhir

India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir. File
| Photograph Credit score: Getty Pictures

Gautam Gambhir comes throughout as somebody who at all times has the larger image in thoughts. On Wednesday (February 12, 2025)India hammered England by 142 runs to brush the ODI collection 3-0 however the head coach hardly cracked a smile within the post-match media briefing, for his eyes appeared set on the all-important Champions Trophy that can start subsequent week.

“There’ll by no means be a case the place all of the packing containers might be ticked,” he declared. “We might have simply seen this sport as a useless rubber. However we wished to place ourselves underneath stress and wished to play this sport as a must-win. And the blokes truly turned up like that.”

On Tuesday, India introduced in spinner Varun Chakaravarthy rather than opener Yashasvi Jaiswal in its Jasprit Bumrah-less Champions Trophy squad. Gambhir acknowledged that it was executed to extend their wicket-taking choices. Varun sat out of the Ahmedabad ODI due to a sore proper calf, however Gambhir revealed that it was extra precautionary.

“We wished one other wicket-taking possibility within the center [overs] and we all know Varun could be a large risk,” he mentioned. “With loads of groups not having performed him, he might be an X-factor as properly.

“I’m not going to say that he’s going to start out [every game]. But it surely’s at all times good to have a robust bowling line-up. In any other case, Yashasvi has bought a wonderful future forward. It’s simply that we might solely decide 15 [players].”

Gambhir additionally expressed confidence that centurion Shubman Gill would lengthen his excellent ODI kind into Check cricket within the close to future.

“The issue is that we maintain judging individuals after each innings. Shubman continues to be a younger batter… he’s nonetheless 25. If somebody can do it in 50-over cricket, why can’t he in Assessments? He has performed some actually good innings within the Check format. You need to belief these younger gamers. Think about what can occur within the subsequent couple of years if we maintain backing him…”