10-jul-2024, 12:44 pM
Gautam Gambhir, a former left-hand hitter and opener, was announced as India’s men’s team captain on Tuesday. As the triumphant celebrations of the T20 World Cup fade, Indian cricket prepares for a new chapter in its history. Aside from the retirements of T20 international veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, a significant development affecting the team in all three forms was the resignation of head coach Rahul Dravid following an incredible stint.
In his three years as head coach, the modest Indian icon led the team to unprecedented heights, leading them to the championship game of all three ICC events: the ICC Men’s T20 World, the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup, and the ICC World Test Championship.
While only one of those may have won a trophy, getting to the pivotal match each time was not an easy feat.
Dravid will be replaced by Gautam Gambhir, who has a long history of winning major championships. India’s championship victories in the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup in 2011 were greatly aided by him. In addition, he led the Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL championships in 2012 and 2014 before helping the group win the trophy again in 2024.
However, Gambhir assumes leadership of an Indian squad that is already among the best in the world. Gambhir and the Indian team are in for a busy schedule that spans multiple formats.
We examine the three formats that Gambhir will be focusing on.
Exams:
India isn’t ranked #1 in the ICC Men’s Test Team Rankings, unlike in ODIs and T20Is. Despite making it to the final of the two ICC World Test Championships, they were unable to seize the victory.
ODIs: With the T20 World Cup trophy, the hurt from a sad defeat in the final of a home Cricket World Cup may have somewhat healed, but India still has two major ICC events in this format to look forward to in the next four years: the Champions Trophy in the following year and the Cricket World Cup in three years.
There’s a good chance the team will also change throughout this time. While Rohit Sharma will command the team at the Champions Trophy, Gambhir is aware that the selection of the team’s future captain and players will need to happen quickly.
Since winning the Champions Trophy in 2013, India has not seen a title victory in this format. He intends to change that next year.
T201s: The squad is rejoicing in the victory over the Caribbean and the USA in the T20 World Cup, but it was not long after that three significant retirements were announced, marking the end of the careers of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja.
Even though the next tournament isn’t until two years from now, Gambhir will need to manage the side through this critical transitional period. The former India opener will have to choose the new skipper in addition to replacing three important players in the starting lineup.
With so many players coming through the IPL, Gambhir has a lot on his plate. Using his resources to the fullest might mean the difference between disappointment and successfully defending the title at home in 2027.
