‌Gambhir speaks to the media emphasizing SKY's leadership and various key decisions

India's head coach, Gambhir, and selection committee chief Ajit Agarkar held a joint press conference in Mumbai ahead of the team's departure to Sri Lanka for a white-ball series featuring three ODIs and as many T20Is starting July 26th.

During the media interaction, Gambhir and Agarkar discussed important key points including the non-selection of Hardik Pandya as the T20I skipper, with Suryakumar Yadav succeeding Rohit Sharma in the role. They also shed light on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma’s ODI future and shared insights into Ravindra Jadeja’s exclusion from the squad. 

Focusing on Suryakumar Yadav’s role as the Indian T20I skipper, Agarkar emphasized that the 360-degree player has been a pivotal player in the Indian squad and is currently the best T20I batter. 

"You want a captain who is likely to play all the games. We think he [Suryakumar Yadav] is a deserving candidate, over time we'll see how he develops into the role,"

In Hardik’s captaincy exclusion, fitness concerns played a significant factor. Although the all-rounder is an indispensable member of the group, the team needed a leader who could consistently play without the risk of injuries.

"We've got a bit more time till the next T20 World Cup where we can look at a few things and it's not rushed at the moment. We want him... like I said, he's an important player for us, and hopefully, his performances are more important. I mean fitness is a clear challenge and we want someone likely to be available more often than not. Again, after saying all that, I think Surya has got the necessary qualities you need to succeed as a captain,” Agarkar further explained.

On enquiring about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future, Gambhir expressed that they are ‘world class players’ and still have plenty left.

 "With Rohit and Virat now not playing T20 cricket, they only have two formats to look after. So they are going to be available for most of the games. For Bumrah, because he is one rare kind of bowler who anyone would want, so it's our responsibility to try and have him fresh for most of the important games. So workload management for not just Bumrah but fast bowlers becomes very very important,” Gambhir cited.

Agarkar cleared the air on Jadeja’s omission as he felt the committee “should have clarified after the selection that he's not been dropped”. With “big Test season coming up, Jadeja is “likely to feature in a lot of the Tests.”

On the non-selection of Rinku Singh and Sanju Samson for the T20 World Cup 2024 and Sri Lanka ODI series respectively, the 46-year-old stated that “every player who is left out feels hard done by.”

"I mean every player who is left out feels hard done by. Our challenge is to pick only 15. To try and get the best balance possible, someone is likely to miss out. Sometimes they've had some decent performances in recent times but you've got to see who is picked ahead of them. Are those guys not deserving of their place?” he further explained.

India’s tour to Sri Lanka for the white-ball series will be Gambhir’s first assignment as head coach.