'Play all three formats...' Head coach Gautam Gambhir's bold message for Team India

Gautam Gambhir’s first assignment as India head coach will be white-ball tour of Sri Lanka.

On July 9, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah officially announced the appointment of 42-year-old Gautam Gambhir as new head coach of the Indian cricket team.

Gambhir replaced legendary Rahul Dravid, whose tenure with the senior men’s cricket team ended on a memorable note after India lifted the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 on June 29 in Barbados.

After being appointed as the new head coach, Gambhir’s first assignment with the Indian cricket team will be the upcoming away white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. The Men in Blue are scheduled to play three-match T20I series and as many as ODIs from July 26 to August 7.

Under Gambhir, the Indian side will go through a transition phase where many senior cricketers might retire from international cricket. The BCCI has appointed Gambhir for a three-year all-format contract until the end of ICC Cricket ODI World Cup 2027.

if you are playing all the three formats: Gautam Gambhir

Ahead of the Sri Lanka white-ball series, newly appointed head coach Gambhir gave a bold message to the Indian cricketers. The 42-year-old said cricketers should play all three formats and not pick and chose while they’re fit.

“Injuries are part of sportsmen’s life. And if you are playing all the three formats, you get injured, you go back and get recovered but you should be playing all the three formats. I am not a big believer to identify people that okay we are going to keep him for Test matches and we are going to keep him and we are going to manage his injury and workload and stuff,” Gambhir said in a video posted by Star Sports.

Gambhir further explained that a player should play for India as much as they can if they are in good form. “Look professional cricketers, you got a very small span. When you are playing for your country you want to play as much as you can. When you are in very good form, go ahead and play all the three formats.”

Gambhir’s biggest challenge as the head coach this year will be the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. After the BGT, focus will shift on the ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

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