(Credit ICC)
With the impending announcement of a new head coach for Team India, Gautam Gambhir is strongly positioned as a potential candidate. Speculation suggests that if Gambhir assumes the role, he may make the tough decision to sideline senior players in order to inject new talent into the team. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s names have surfaced as likely candidates for exclusion from the Indian squad under this new approach.
Kohli and Sharma retired from T20Is following India’s victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 against South Africa in the Caribbean, signaling their focus on longer formats. India’s upcoming objectives include the 2025 Champions Trophy and the World Test Championship Final.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah has confirmed that senior members of the team will remain part of the squad for these upcoming major events.
“I would want India to win all the titles. We have the biggest bench strength, only three players from this team are going to Zimbabwe. We can field three teams if the need arises. The way this team is progressing, our target is to win the World Test Championship final and Champions Trophy. There will be a similar squad playing there. The seniors will be there,” Shah told PTI.
The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy is set to take place in Pakistan, although it remains uncertain whether the BCCI will field its team in the tournament. According to reports, the International Cricket Council has finalized the dates for the tournament, scheduled to commence on February 19 and conclude with the final on March 9.
Meanwhile, the WTC 2025 final is scheduled for June 2025 in London. In the current 2023-2025 WTC cycle, India, the two-time runner-up, leads the points table with 68.52 percentage points from nine matches. Australia follows closely behind in second place with 62.50 percentage points. The top two teams by the end of the cycle will compete in the championship match next year.
