Tag: gautam gambhir

3Jul By source belowNo Comments

Travel

Sangakkara accuses Gambhir of carrying ‘baggage’ after Bumrah rested: ‘Is Lord’s Test more important or the series?’

The decision to leave Jasprit Bumrah out of India's Playing XI for the second Test against England in Birmingham continues to draw flak, with no one copping it more than head coach Gautam Gambhir. Despite trailing 0-1 in the series and a week-long gap between the first and second Tests, Bumrah was rested, considering his workload management, a call that left many former cricketers baffled, including Ravi Shastri and Dale Steyn. However, the fact that it was pre-decided that Bumrah is going to play three Tests out of five is what divides opinion. Gautam Gambhir, left, and Kumar Sangakkara during the IPL 2024 Gambhir was very vocal about it. He was adamant that the team's plan wouldn't change. And this stubbornness is what seems to have landed him in hot water. One school of though...

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2Jul By source belowNo Comments

Sports

‘You sit out the best bowler in the world after 7-day break’: Ravi Shastri slams Gambhir, Gill for resting Jasprit Bumrah in Edgbaston Test

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has slammed the team management for resting pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah for the second Test against England which began in Edgbaston on Wednesday due to workload management. When asked by former England batter Michael Atherton at the toss, skipper Shubman Gill said that though Bumrah was fit, the management believed that the speedster will be of more importance during the third Test at Lord’s, starting July 10. “Just to manage his workload. We did get a good break and this is an important match for us. But the third Test being at Lord’s, we think there’ll be more in that pitch so we’ll use him there,” Gill said as India unveiled three changes to the line-up. Seamer Akash Deep was roped in to replace Bumrah while Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Redd...

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1Jul By source belowNo Comments

Sports

‘England will be very, very happy if Jasprit Bumrah plays only three Tests’: Ian Bell

That Jasprit Bumrah will only play three of the five Test matches of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy is something that India have maintained since before the start of the series. However, former England batsman Ian Bell has said he would be “amazed” if this actually ends up happening, especially if he sits out matches with the series on the line. “I’d be amazed if he (Bumrah) only plays three Tests this summer,” Bell is quoted as saying by PTI. “He’s the best fast bowler in the world, and if he doesn’t play, England will be very, very happy.” India head coach Gautam Gambhir had said before the series that managing Bumrah’s workload is important. However, there have been growing worries about how poorly India will fare without the 31-year-old in the squad considering the huge gap in quality b...

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1Jul By source belowNo Comments

Sports

Shubman Gill’s dilemma: Don’t know what to do with second spinner on Day 1

Had the Indian skipper Shubman Gill addressed the media after taking a look at the Edgbaston pitch, he would have had all the answers to most of the questions thrown at him. Like was the case in the first Test at Headingley, Gill started the press conference with a short disclaimer that gave him the license to stonewall any query about the team that will be taking the field on Wednesday for the second Test of the series where India trails 0-1. “We are going to have a final look at the pitch today and see what kind of combination that we want to go with,” he stated. Attempts were made to get something out of him but Gill, only in his second Test as captain, came across as a seasoned pro. He spoke a lot but revealed nothing. Going by Gill’s answers, the Indian playing XI wasn’t decided till ...

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29Jun By source belowNo Comments

Sports

How Kuldeep Yadav prepped for England tour with Kevin Pietersen’s advice and bowling-action tweaks

Wrist spinner Kuldeep Yadav had the England tour on his mind while playing for Delhi Capitals in IPL this season. As luck would have it, around him was the team mentor Kevin Pietersen, the one-time England captain and a batsman with a deep understanding of spin bowling. Kuldeep didn’t let this opportunity go to waste. He sought his help and Pietersen obliged. The two would go through the entire England batting line-up, one batsman at a time, and assess their strength and weakness. Kuldeep would throw questions, Pietersen would answer them. At the end of the discussion the English batting great would also pass on a simple mantra to Kuldeep.“Kevin Peterson was part of our team at DC. He gave me a lot of inputs for the England tour. He told me about fielding positions, pitches and the batsmen...

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28Jun By source belowNo Comments

Sports

Why India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak is still admired at Kenilworth Wardens Cricket Club

Malcolm Whitehall, 78, has been at Kenilworth Wardens club for the last 55 years. A chairman for over 10 years and now life member, he loves coming to this 12-acre sporting arena that is the home for five cricket and 25 football teams. It’s Saturday and the club’s main cricket team is playing a league game. Malcolm is running on the field with refreshments during drinks. Kenilworth is a town of 20,000 close to Birmingham. Over the years, many overseas players made this picturesque English county their home during summers, not earning much, staying with local families, doing odd jobs – all for that unique English cricket experience.Malcolm is expecting a visitor, a Warden alumni, a former overseas player and part of the Team India touring party. India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak played f...

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27Jun By source belowNo Comments

Sports

Aakash Chopra on Jasprit Bumrah playing only three Test matches: I am thinking whether it was required to publicize it

Even before the series started between India and England, the former’s ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah has said he will only be available for three Tests in the series, citing his injury concerns. However, former Indian cricketer Aakash Chopra was critical of the team management’s strategy regarding the decision to make Bumrah’s availability public. “Bumrah said he will play three matches only, and I am thinking whether it was required to publicize it. Why was it not kept a secret? We don’t announce our team as well. So why was it necessary to reiterate it repeatedly before the start of the tour that he would play three matches only? Let them guess. You play whichever Tests you wish,” said Chopra on his YouTube channel. “You have played one, and you know you can play only two of the remaining fou...

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25Jun By source belowNo Comments

Sports

IND vs ENG: Questions are obvious post Headingley loss, but do Gautam Gambhir and Shubman Gill have the answers?

Jasprit Bumrah had a five-for, there were five hundreds by Indians, and yet England cruised to a win, chasing down 371 with ease in the first Test at Leeds. With Bumrah slated to play just two more Tests, Indian management has a series of headaches with an inexperienced bowling line-up. Which bowlers are to be replaced for the second Test? Why despite extending the batting by not including their main spinner Kuldeep Yadav did lower middle-order and tail fail? Why didn’t Prasidh Krishna course-correct in the first innings by bowling a fuller length as he finally did a few hours before the end of the game? Was Shardul Thakur handled rightly in the first innings or his lack of control with the ball left the captain Shubman Gill with no other choice? And how to manage Bumrah, should he play th...

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22Jun By source belowNo Comments

Uncategorized

Sourav Ganguly desires a return to Team India, this time as coach: ‘Gautam Gambhir has started off little slow…’

Former India captain Sourav Ganguly isn’t ruling out the idea of coaching the Indian men’s team. Ganguly, who has worn multiple hats post-retirement, from commentator to BCCI president, said he’s “open” to taking on the role in the future. Sourav Ganguly (L) hasn't ruled out a possibility of reuniting with Team India(PTI/ANI) “I never really thought about it because I got into different roles,” Ganguly told PTI.  “I finished (competitive cricket) in 2013 and then became Board (BCCI) President. We’ll see what the future holds. I’m just 50 (53), so let’s see what happens. I’m open to it. We’ll see where it goes.” Ganguly, who has been Team Director at Delhi Capitals between 2018-19 and 2022-24, believes his biggest contribution to Indian cricket in administration came in the wom...

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22Jun By source belowNo Comments

Entertainment

Gautam Gambhir told to ‘have chat with Shubman Gill’ as Gavaskar fumes at India’s howlers: No medal will be given

Although India are very well in the contest and could even secure a first-innings lead in Leeds, the visitors were only brilliant in patches. After a top-order show, where three batters scored a century, the remainder of the line-up suffered a collapse on Day 2 for just 40-odd runs. In the following innings, it was merely a one-man show, with Jasprit Bumrah dictating the terms for India amid shoddy bowling and fielding howlers. Sunil Gavaskar was not happy with India's fielding errors Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar, on Saturday, was left fuming at the end of Day 2 at the Headingley as he criticised India's fielding. The visitors dropped as many as three catches during the day, where Ollie Pope scored a century to lead the charge for England single-handedly. Gavaskar recko...

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22Jun By source belowNo Comments

Uncategorized

Gambhir shocked in unseen clip, looks on from dressing room as Bumrah can’t hide agony after Brook’s no-ball escape

England opener Ben Duckett could not have been more correct when he summed up England's Day 2 proceedings, saying, "It could have been a lot worse." Indian fielders did spill a few too many opportunities off Jasprit Bumrah, who put on a one-man show in the second innings for the visitors, but the bowler too had himself to blame after his long-standing trouble came to haunt him again in the dramatic last over in Leeds on Saturday. Jasprit Bumrah got Harry Brook dismissed on a no-ball in the final over of Day 2 Bumrah's ill-fated tryst with no balls is a secret to none. And it troubled him thrice in the final over on Day 2, one of which helped England No. 4 Harry Brook survive. The India fast bowler dished out an array of yorkers, before surprising Brook with a shorter delivery ...

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21Jun By source belowNo Comments

Travel

Gautam Gambhir blamed for Rishabh Pant’s brainfade dismissal for 134: ‘When a message is sent, what is the tone?’

Rishabh Pant enthralled the Headingley crowd as he registered a spellbinding century against England in the first Test of the five-match series on Saturday. The left-handed batter brought out the somersault celebration upon achieving the milestone, much to the delight of the jam-packed crowd in Leeds. With this ton, Rishabh Pant also went past MS Dhoni to have the most number of centuries for an Indian wicketkeeper-batter. Pant was eventually dismissed for 134 by Josh Tongue as the left-handed youngster had a brain fade moment.  Dinesh Karthik put India head coach Gautam Gambhir under the scanner for possibly sending the wrong message to Rishabh Pant(Action Images via Reuters) Former India wicketkeeper-batter Dinesh Karthik, who was on air for Sky Sports at the time, put head coa...

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13Jun By source belowNo Comments

Sports

India coach Gautam Gambhir to return home from England because of personal reasons

The Indian cricket team’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he will be flying back home from England due to ‘personal reasons’. The Indian team is currently in England for the five-match Test series starting at Leeds from June 20. They are scheduled to play an intra-squad game today. It is learnt that the support staff will oversee the intra-squad game. “He has informed us that he is flying back home due to personal reasons. He will join the squad at the earliest soon. He won’t be at the intra-squad game and support staff will be looking after the preparations ahead of the Test series,” a BCCI source confirmed. Story continues below this ad The Indian team currently has Sitanshu Kotak as batting coach, Morne Morke...

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12Jun By source belowNo Comments

Sports

‘I know how hard and lonely it was…’: KL Rahul hails Karun Nair’s comeback, ‘Special for friends like us…’

Karun Nair’s comeback has been one of the standout stories in the leadup to India’s upcoming five-Test series in England and KL Rahul, a longtime teammate of his in domestic cricket, has expressed his delight. Head coach Gautam Gambhir all but confirmed that Nair will be in the playing XI for the first Test and Rahul acknowledged the difficulties 33-year-old had to endure in the years that he was out of contention. “I’ve known him for a very long time and the months that he spent here in the UK, playing cricket and how hard and lonely it was and for him to be able to do all of that and come back into the Indian team. I think it’s special for him, for his family, and for friends like us who’ve seen his journey,” said Rahul in a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI...

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5Jun By source belowNo Comments

Sports

‘Was never a believer that we need to have road shows’: Gautam Gambhir reacts to Bengaluru stampede tragedy

India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday reacted to the tragedy in Bengaluru when 11 people lost their lives in a stampede when they came to celebrate the Indian Premier League title triumph of Royal Challengers Bengaluru. Gambhir said that he was not a fan of road shows and said he believed that there was no need for such things. “I was never a believer that we need to have road shows. When I was playing I had the same statement to make. Even after winning 2007, that we should not have road shows. I think lives of people are more important and I will continue to say that in the future, we can be a little bit aware of not putting on these road shows and can probably have it inside close doors or in a stadium. It is very tragic what happened yesterday and my heart goes out to families wh...

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28May By source belowNo Comments

Sports

Gautam Gambhir fires sharp retort on Shreyas Iyer’s omission from India squad for England Tests

India head coach Gautam Gambhir avoided answering questions on Shreyas Iyer not being included in the squad for their upcoming tour of England. While most inclusions and exclusions in the 18-member squad for the five-match Test series were largely on expected lines, including the announcement of  Shubman Gill as the new captain, Iyer’s exclusion despite his stellar form in ODI cricket in particular raised a few eyebrows. “I am not a selector,” was Gambhir’s terse reply when he was about Iyer by a journalist while addressing the media. Shreyas Iyer’s last Test match was in February 2024 against England in Visakhapatnam. In the time since, Iyer played a crucial role in India’s Champions Trophy victory, finishing as the team’s highest run scorer with 243 runs in five matches. He was also in s...

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23May By source belowNo Comments

Sports

‘No one has the right to tell someone when to retire and when not to retire’: Gautam Gambhir on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli biding adieu to Tests

India coach Gautam Gambhir said it will be a challenging road ahead for the Test team following Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma hanging up their boots from the longest format. However, Gambhir also said that the retirements also presents other players with the opportunity to make an impact and take responsibility. “I think, when you start the game and when you want to finish, it’s a very individual decision. No one has the right. Be it the coach, the selector, be it anyone in this country has any right to tell someone when to retire and when not to retire. So it comes from within,” Gautam Gambhir told CNN-News18. “And yes, we’ve got to be without two senior players to really experience players. And sometimes I believe that it’s the opportunity for some other people to put their hand up and sa...

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17Apr By source belowNo Comments

Sports

Ahead of England tour, BCCI removes Abhishek Nayar, T Dilip as coaches of Indian team

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has removed two of its coaching staff — assistant coach Abhishek Nayar and fielding coach T Dilip with immediate effect. Alongside the two, strength and conditioning coach Soham Desai is also on the way out with the men’s team set to have a new masseur as well going into the tour of England in June. The Indian Express understands that the BCCI took the decision on the back of the team’s performance in Australia, where they lost the Test series 1-3. Among the lot who have been removed, Nayar joined the team as an assistant coach last year alongside head coach Gautam Gambhir. Dilip has been part of the set up since Rahul Dravid’s tenure was given an extension till March this year. In place of Desai, the BCCI has roped in Adrian Le Roux who is ...

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16Apr By source belowNo Comments

Sports

Rohit Sharma on dropping himself for Sydney Test: Had an argument with coach and selector, tried putting team first

Rohit Sharma has revealed that he had an “argument” with Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar over his decision to sit out of the Sydney Test during Border-Gavaskar series in January this year. “I spoke to the coach and the selector, and they kind of agreed, not agreed, …. there was an argument around it,” Rohit told former Australian captain Michael Clarke during the Beyond23 Cricket podcast. This newspaper had reported then about how Rohit wasn’t dropped, but had made the decision to opt out on his own. “I had to be honest with myself. I wasn’t hitting the ball well. I didn’t want to put myself there only because we had dropped the other guys who were struggling as well,” he said. Story continues below this ad “We somehow wanted [Shubman] Gill to play, he’s suc...

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26Mar By source belowNo Comments

Sports

IPL 2025: Uncapped, unfazed – How Priyansh Arya made a strong early impression for PBKS on debut

It’s early stages in the 18th season of Indian Premier League, but a strong early trend that has emerged is how uncapped Indian players have made their presence felt. One of those who have caught the eye is Punjab Kings’ Priyansh Arya. The 24-year-old from Delhi came in for special praise from PBKS head coach Ricky Ponting after their side’s 11-run win in a high-scoring contest in Ahmedabad on Tuesday against Gujarat Titans. “I reckon we set the tone with a guy playing in his first IPL game… Priyansh, the way he started today,” Ponting said in his dressing room debrief speech. Priyansh, taking strike on his debut against a star-studded bowling lineup, scored a brisk 23-ball 47 with seven fours (the most on the night) and two sixes. In fact, Ponting had identified Priyansh as a player to wa...

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5Mar By source belowNo Comments

Sports

Angry Gautam Gambhir blasts critics on India’s Dubai advantage: ‘Some people are just perpetual cribbers, man, grow up’

A day after captain Rohit Sharma dismissed any talks of India being at home in Dubai and familiar with the conditions, it was the turn of their head coach Gautam Gambhir to drive home the point even when he was not questioned about it. Speaking shortly after the four-wicket win over Australia, Gambhir was not only assertive but also typically pugnacious with most of the questions put forward.Right through the tournament which Pakistan are hosting, there have been several criticisms directed at the advantage India have gained by playing all their matches in Dubai. Now with India making it to the final, all those talks aren’t going to die down and Gambhir, who seemed bothered about it, weighed in with his thoughts in his own way. “There’s a lot of debate about the undue advantage and all tha...

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5Mar By source belowNo Comments

Sports

ICC Champions Trophy: Amidst speculation about his future, Virat Kohli shows what makes him a chase-master in ODIs

Where would India be without Virat Kohli in this ICC Champions Trophy? As they got one step closer to becoming the most successful team in the tournament’s history, for the second time in this edition, Kohli mastered a chase.Unlike the game against Pakistan where he remained unbeaten on 100, there was no century to show against Australia in Tuesday’s semi-final. But his 84 was an innings that sent a strong reminder to the world that Kohli isn’t going anywhere for now. If anything, with such knocks under pressure in the most challenging of conditions, he seems to be indicating a second wind in his career. Truth be told, Kohli looked all over the place in the first game against Bangladesh, who were able to pin him to the crease. After that knock, he trained for extra hours at the nets, facin...

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13Feb By source belowNo Comments

Sports

‘We don’t look at averages, stats and all that stuff’: Gautam Gambhir on Axar Patel’s elevation

After India defeated England 3-0 in the ODI series, coach Gautam Gambhir explained his rationale for promoting Axar Patel up the batting order over KL Rahul in the first two ODIs. “That’s the way cricket is meant to be played,” Gambhir explained when asked about Axar’s promotion in the batting order. “I know a lot of people talk about it, but that’s the way we got to play the game, and that’s the way cricket should be played. It’s not about the batting order, it’s about who can create what impact. If you have the option of putting a quality left-hand batter in the middle, why won’t you do that?” Gambhir asked. “Why would you want to have top five as right-handers? We don’t look at averages and stats and all that stuff. We look at who can deliver more at that number. And Axar has done fab...

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13Feb By source belowNo Comments

Sports

We wanted to play this game as a must-win: Gambhir

India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir. File | Photo Credit: Getty Images Gautam Gambhir comes across as someone who always has the bigger picture in mind. On Wednesday (February 12, 2025), India hammered England by 142 runs to sweep the ODI series 3-0 but the head coach hardly cracked a smile in the post-match media briefing, for his eyes seemed set on the all-important Champions Trophy that will begin next week.“There will never be a case where all the boxes will be ticked,” he declared. “We could have easily seen this game as a dead rubber. But we wanted to put ourselves under pressure and wanted to play this game as a must-win. And the guys actually turned up like that.”On Tuesday, India brought in spinner Varun...

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21Jan By source belowNo Comments

Sports

England tour of India: India vs England first Twenty20 international in Kolkata: Indian captain Suryakumar Yadav on Gautam Gambhir and the team

Head coach Gautam Gambhir with captain Suryakumar Yadav during a practice session ahead of the Twenty20 international against England in Kolkata. | Photo Credit: ANI Captain Suryakumar Yadav thinks the Indian team is moving in the right direction under coach Gautam Gambhir.Remembering his days when he donned the Kolkata Knight Riders colours and played under Gambhir’s captaincy in the Indian Premier League, Suryakumar said, “I have played under Gauti bhai for four years. I have spent a lot of time with him, I know how he works. Even he knows how to talk to each other. It started from the Sri Lanka series... We are moving in the right direction. “He keeps it simple and gives a lot of freedom. He lets the pla...

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20Jan By source belowNo Comments

Sports

Openers have fixed positions but everyone else needs to be flexible about batting slots: Axar

File photo of Axar Patel. | Photo Credit: Shiv Kumar Pushpakar Openers are the only ones with a fixed slot in the Indian T20 line-up and the batting order that follows will be made up of "multiple floaters", new vice-captain Axar Patel said on Monday (January 20, 2025) while spelling out the team's strategy ahead the five-match series against England. India will start their campaign against England in a five-match T20I series at the Eden Gardens on Wednesday (January 22, 2025). Asked about being a floater in batting order, the all-rounder replied: "...it's not just about me; it applies to everyone in the team. "Right from the start of 2024, we had decided to have a fixed opening slot, and from No. 3 to No. 7, e...

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