Recently, Gautam Gambhir, the Indian team’s head coach, won his first ODI series. At home, the Men in Blue thrashed England 3-0. The Indian hitters put on some outstanding performances during the series. With Shreyas Iyer batting brilliantly at No. 4, the Indian middle-order is finally looking formidable after a very long period.
In the first ODI, India’s starting lineup did not include the Mumbai batsman. But after Virat Kohli sustained a knee injury, he was cut. Iyer took full most of his chance and finished the series with 181 runs from three games at an average of 60.33, including two half-centuries. There was a “heated” selection meeting on Iyer’s retention, according to a Times of India story.
Gambhir’s preference for left-right combinations in the batting order was a significant contributing factor.
The report also showed that by supporting KL Rahul, the Gambhir-led Indian team management defied BCCI chief selector Ajit Agarkar. During his Champions Trophy news conference last month, the former India speedster affirmed that Rishabh Pant would be the starting wicketkeeper for both the England ODIs and the ICC competition. Rahul played in all three of the games against England, but Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma wanted continuity.
“Ajit Agarkar, the head of the selection committee, stated that Pant was the first-choice wicketkeeper when he announced the Champions Trophy squad. Pant ended up being the only member of the team to miss any of the three ODIs in the England series. According to the TOI report, there was a contentious discussion during the selection meeting about keeping Shreyas Iyer in the squad and about the second wicketkeeper position.
Rahul, not Pant, is the first-choice wicketkeeper in the major event, Gambhir disclosed during his last news conference prior to India’s departure for the Champions Trophy.
“In the end, it’s really hard to discuss specifics, but I can only say that Pant will have an opportunity if he joins the team. However, KL is undoubtedly our best wicketkeeper right now and has performed well for us. With two wicketkeepers on the team, it is impossible to play both with our level of skill. “Hopefully, he [Pant] will be prepared for any opportunity that comes up,” Gambhir remarked.
Rahul hit a rapid 40 in the final game after failing with the bat in the first two. He has a stellar record, averaging an incredible 56.47 while batting at No. 5 for India in ODIs. However, in white-ball cricket for the Asian powerhouses, Pant has fallen short of his promise. The southpaw has played 31 ODIs and has an average of 33.50.
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