Gautam Gambhir Big Admission Ahead Of New Captain Announcement: "Easier To Work…"

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir would prefer to have one captain for all three formats, but admits such a scenario is not possible in modern day cricket. Following Rohit Sharma‘s Test retirment, the BCCI is likely to announce a new captain for the format on Saturday ahead of a five-match series against England, starting June 20. Suryakumar Yadav is currently India’s captain in T20Is, while Rohit will continue to lead in the 50-over format. With Rohit and Virat Kohli retired from Test and T20Is, Gambhir is likely to have more power in selections calls, and there is a high chance that India will have three different captains for each format.

Gambhir would ideally have one captain for all three formats as it is much easier to plan and strategise with one individual. However, he admitted that it virtually impossible for a player to play all three formats throughout the year, in addition to the IPL.

“Ideally, as a coach, it is much easier to work with a guy if you have one captain for all formats but that hardly happens because you’ve got to realise in today’s day and age, you can’t have a captain captaining for 12 months a year. You play 10 months of international cricket and then you have IPL. The one who is leading India would definitely be leading a franchise,” Gambhir said during a chat with CNN News 18.

Gambhir added that all-format captaincy can take a toll on the mental health of a young player.

“Imagine putting a young guy, captaining sides for 12 months, is putting a lot of toll on his mental health and on his game as well. Ideally, it is one but in today’s day and age, it is always better to have two because that pressure can be distributed and it gets much easier for a player to be free when he’s not captaining,” he went on to add.

While Kohli and Rohit have bid adieu to the Test and T20 format, they will still be available for India in the 50-over game.

Asked if the two can make the team for the 2027 ODI World Cup, Gambhir said “Look, it’s still a long way away. We still have a T20 World Cup before that, and that is again a huge tournament that is going to happen in India, which is in February-March,” he pointed out.

“So the entire focus at the moment, after England, will be on the T20 World Cup, and November-December 2027 is still two-and-a-half years away. And I’ve always said one thing – if you keep performing, age is just a number,” he added.

(With PTI Inputs)