Gautam Gambhir Takes Charge as Head Coach of Indian Cricket Team in Pallekele
Newly-appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir has officially taken charge of the Indian cricket team as the players assembled in Pallekele, Sri Lanka, on Tuesday for their first training session ahead of the limited-overs series. The Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team arrived in Pallekele on Monday for the upcoming three-match T20I series, followed by three ODIs.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) shared a video of India’s first practice session on their official X account, captioning it, “Head Coach Gautam Gambhir Takes Charge!” In the video, Gambhir is seen closely observing the players and offering valuable batting tips to wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson.
Before departing for Sri Lanka, Gambhir addressed his first press conference alongside chief selector Ajit Agarkar, who explained the decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the T20I captain over all-rounder Hardik Pandya.
“He is one of the deserving candidates. He is one of the best T20 batters in the world. We wanted a captain who was likely to play all the games. We will see how he will do,” Agarkar stated.
Regarding Hardik Pandya, Agarkar emphasized his importance to the team, despite fitness challenges over the past few years. “As far as Hardik is concerned, he is still a very important player. And that’s what we want him to be. Fitness has been a challenge for him over the last few years…Then it becomes difficult for the coach or selectors. I think Surya has the necessary qualities to succeed as a captain,” he added.
The first T20I between India and Sri Lanka is scheduled to be played in Pallekele on Saturday.
India T20I Squad:
- Suryakumar Yadav (C)
- Shubman Gill (VC)
- Yashasvi Jaiswal
- Rinku Singh
- Riyan Parag
- Rishabh Pant (WK)
- Sanju Samson (WK)
- Hardik Pandya
- Shivam Dube
- Axar Patel
- Washington Sundar
- Ravi Bishnoi
- Arshdeep Singh
- Khaleel Ahmed
- Mohd. Siraj
