Anti-Gambhir Sentiment Grows Ahead of IND vs ENG Test Series
With India set to tour England in June for a five-Test series, Gautam Gambhir faces criticism following Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s Test retirements. The BCCI must now appoint a new Test captain — Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah are contenders. Verbal shots from legends like Gavaskar and Shastri have intensified pressure on Gambhir.
As the Indian cricket team prepares for its five-match Test tour of England in June 2025 — marking the start of the World Test Championship 2027 cycle — Head Coach Gautam Gambhir finds himself under heavy scrutiny. Despite guiding India to an unbeaten Champions Trophy win earlier this year, Gambhir is being held responsible by many for the sudden Test retirements of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.
These retirements, coupled with India’s earlier loss of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia and their WTC Final exit, have intensified criticism. Tensions within the cricketing fraternity are visible, with former players like Sunil Gavaskar alleging Gambhir denied Shreyas Iyer his due credit for KKR’s IPL 2024 win. Ravi Shastri added fuel by suggesting he would have never let Rohit sit out the final Border-Gavaskar Test.
Now, with Rohit and Virat gone, the spotlight is firmly on Gambhir to deliver results in red-ball cricket. Meanwhile, the BCCI and selectors face the pressing task of appointing a new Test captain. Names like Shubman Gill, Rishabh Pant, KL Rahul, and Jasprit Bumrah are in contention, but no clear decision has been made, deepening the uncertainty ahead of a crucial series.
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