"Pick in-form players first," Gautam Gambhir spares his two cents on India captaincy debate for T20 WC 2024

Former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir shed light on India captaincy debate for T20 WC 2024.

As the world gears up for the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup in 2024, the spotlight has shifted to the captaincy debate surrounding Indian team. Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir gave his opinion on the matter, delivering a brief message to Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). In the midst of the selection challenges and speculations, Gambhir emphasized on the significance of prioritizing in-form players over the captaincy question.

The discussion around India’s T20 World Cup captaincy gained momentum following Rohit Sharma’s break from the format since November 2022. With the absence of the regular captain, a healthy competition has emerged within the team as players fight for their spots in the playing XI. Notably, the unofficial leadership of Hardik Pandya in the shortest format has positioned him as a viable candidate, while Suryakumar Yadav has also entered the fray after showcasing his leadership skills during Australia series in absence of Pandya.

Gautam Gambhir on captaincy debate

Gambhir’s perspective on the captaincy debate is clear and pragmatic. He highlighted the need to prioritize players in good form. According to him, the key to success lies in selecting a squad based on current performance rather than focusing solely on captaincy considerations.

“Captaincy is not important, the team is. First pick the players who are in form. And a player who is in form should be made the captain. You won’t make an out-of-form player the captain, right? Whether that is Rohit Sharma or Hardik Pandya or Suryakumar Yadav? If Rohit isn’t in form, you won’t even pick him probably. Picking the captain is not important, picking the right squad for the T20 World Cup is. And before that we have the IPL. If anyone performs well then you should consider him as well,” he told India today.

Gambhir pointed out at the fundamental importance of performance. Whether it’s the experienced Rohit Sharma, the dynamic Hardik Pandya, or the emerging talent Suryakumar Yadav, Gambhir asserts that form should be the guiding factor in decision-making.

He also underlined the significance of the upcoming IPL as a platform for players to showcase their form, urging selectors to consider standout performers for the T20 World Cup squad.

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