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First Post
3 hours ago
- Sport
- First Post
'I'm open to it': Sourav Ganguly expresses desire to coach Team India in the future
Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has said that he is open to coaching the Indian team in the future. He also shared his views about the current head coach Gautam Gambhir. read more Former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has said that he is open to coaching the Indian cricket team someday. Speaking in a recent interview, Ganguly suggested that while there is nothing confirmed yet, he is not ruling out the possibility of coaching Team India. 'We'll see what the future holds. I'm just 50 (53), so let's see what happens. I'm open to it. We'll see where it goes,' Ganguly told PTI. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Ganguly served as BCCI president from 2019 to 2022, a period during which Indian cricket went through a challenging phase, including Virat Kohli stepping down from captaincy across all formats and other major developments. Prior to this, he was the president of the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB). He is currently the chairman of the ICC's Cricket Committee. Ganguly lauds current coach Gambhir Gautam Gambhir is the current head coach of Team India. He took over from Rahul Dravid last year. Ganguly believes that Gambhir is doing a good job. He said Gambhir had a slow start, with losses against Australia and New Zealand, but things improved after India's Champions Trophy win. 'Gautam (Gambhir) is doing a good job. He started off a little slow, losing to Australia and New Zealand, but he picked up with the Champions Trophy. This is going to be a big series (vs England),' Ganguly said. When asked about Gambhir's tactics as a coach, Ganguly said that while he hasn't seen him up close in the role, he knows Gambhir is very passionate and clear about his views. Ganguly also recalled his playing days and how Gambhir always showed respect to his senior players. 'I haven't seen him from very close in this role, but I know he is very passionate. I haven't observed his strategies closely because I haven't worked with him as a coach. He's very straightforward, he sees things clearly, and he's very open about what he feels, about the team, players, people, everything. From the outside, you can tell he's a very transparent person - what you see is what you get.' Ganguly said. 'I've played with him. He was a great guy with a lot of respect for me and the senior players. Even now, I can see he is extremely passionate about his job. I wish him all the best. He's just a year into the job, and this will be an important (England) tour. He struggled a bit in Australia, but just like everyone else, he'll learn, he'll grow, and he'll become better,' Ganguly added. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
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First Post
9 hours ago
- Sport
- First Post
'It won't be easy': Sourav Ganguly lays out path for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to play in 2027 ODI World Cup
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's Test retirements have sparked debate over their 2027 ODI World Cup hopes. Former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly believes it won't be easy for the legends and outlined what they must do to stay in contention. read more Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma shocked the world recently by announcing their retirements from Test cricket. They had already stepped down from T20 cricket last year after winning the 2024 T20 World Cup. Their recent decisions to retire from red-ball cricket have raised a big question around their availability to play in the 2027 ODI World Cup. Both Kohli and Rohit are modern-day legends, and fans would love to see them lift the ODI World Cup trophy before they say goodbye to international cricket. The 2027 Cricket World Cup is still more than two years away and by then, Kohli will be 39 and Rohit will turn 40. There are concerns regarding their fitness and match-readiness at that age. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD However, since they won't be playing Tests and T20s anymore, some believe that they can now fully focus on ODIs and prepare themselves just for the 50-over format. That could actually work in their favour, as they will have fewer matches to worry about and can manage their bodies better. Ganguly on Kohli-Rohit's ODI future But former India captain and ex-BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has a different view. Ganguly believes that if Kohli and Rohit are serious about playing the 2027 ODI World Cup, they will have to stay active in the format for the next two years. 'It won't be easy. 15 games a year. I've got no advice. I think they know the game as much as I do. And they will take a call. But all of us must understand that just like everyone, the game will go away from them and they will go away from the game,' Ganguly told PTI in an interview. India have at least 27 ODI matches scheduled between now and the next World Cup. Ganguly feels that Kohli and Rohit must stay committed to playing most, if not all, of these matches if they really want to be part of the World Cup squad. Both Rohit and Kohli have already had legendary careers. They recently won the ICC Champions Trophy and the T20 World Cup. They qualified for the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup without losing a single game, but lost to Australia in the summit clash. Note, Rohit is still the captain of the Indian ODI team. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
NDTV
5 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
"What Was Rohit Sharma? He Struggled...": Shubman Gill Sent Massive 'Captaincy' Message
Former Indian cricket team star and ex-BCCI selector Venkatapathy Raju believes that Shubman Gill should approach his captaincy appointment in a positive way. Gill was named captain for the upcoming Test series against England with Rishabh Pant serving as his deputy. Gill succeeded Rohit Sharma who announced his retirement from Test cricket just ahead of the series. Raju said that the captaincy should not negatively affect Gill's game and even cited the example of Rohit as a captain. "Not really, not really. You see, what was Rohit Sharma? Rohit Sharma struggled when he played Test cricket, right? But then, when they gave him captaincy for Mumbai Indians, he won trophies. Then suddenly his style of cricket changed. Then he became Indian captain, right? After he became Indian captain, he did well," Venkatapathy Raju told Hindustan Times. Raju also asked Gill to see the example of former South Africa captain Greame Smith, who became skipper at a very young age, and learn how to manage the situations. "So Gill has been part of this Indian team in all formats, right? And then probably, you know, I want to see the example of Graeme Smith. When Graeme Smith was very young for South Africa. He was just 19 when he was made the captain. He made a lot of difference," he said. "So now the selectors have decided to give the chance to Gill. It's up to the senior members in the team, all the players in the team to support him, right? Because it is a team game. It might change his style also. He might be more responsible. Initially, he might look little nervous, but then that's what cricket is all about. It is a challenge. He has to accept the challenge. He has got five Test matches, hopefully he learns quickly in those games and plays the way he knows," he further added.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'What was Rohit Sharma? He struggled when he played Test cricket': Shubman Gill's fresh challenge ahead of England Tests
Immense pressure is expected to be on Shubman Gill, when he leads his team out to face opposition skipper Ben Stokes at toss in the first Test at Headingley on Friday. The upcoming five-match Test series in England will see Gill make his captaincy debut, having taken over from Rohit Sharma, who recently announced his retirement. There have been question marks surrounding the 25-year-old's Test captaincy appointment, with many feeling that it was more circumstantial, rather than well-planned. His batting average in 32 Tests is 35.05, which is the lowest among top-order batters to have played for India in the past decade. Gill's batting brilliance can never be ignored in other formats, and to a certain extent, even in Test cricket, but many feel that he needed more time to develop before being given the reins of the team. Also Read: BCCI told to hold Vaibhav Suryavanshi's India call-up: 'Sachin Tendulkar hit 100s on Ranji, Duleep, Irani Trophy debut' Speaking to Hindustan Times, former India cricketer and ex-BCCI selector Venkatapathy Raju weighed in on Gill's appointment, saying the load of captaincy wouldn't negatively affect his Test career or development. Comparing the GT captain to Rohit, he said, "Not really, not really. You see, what was Rohit Sharma? Rohit Sharma struggled when he played Test cricket, right? But then, when they gave him captaincy for Mumbai Indians, he won trophies. Then suddenly his style of cricket changed. Then he became Indian captain, right? After he became Indian captain, he did well." During his Test career, which spanned 67 matches and 116 innings, Rohit averaged 40.57. His start in that format wasn't up to the mark, needing time to settle in. Raju, who was a selector during India's victorous campaign at the 2007 World T20, also went on to compare Gill to South African legend Graeme Smith, who was appointed skipper at a very early age. "So Gill has been part of this Indian team in all formats, right? And then probably, you know, I want to see the example of Graeme Smith. When Graeme Smith was very young for South Africa. He was just 19 when he was made the captain. He made a lot of difference," he said. "So now the selectors have decided to give the chance to Gill. It's up to the senior members in the team, all the players in the team to support him, right? Because it is a team game. It might change his style also. He might be more responsible. Initially, he might look little nervous, but then that's what cricket is all about. It is a challenge. He has to accept the challenge. He has got five Test matches, hopefully he learns quickly in those games and plays the way he knows," he further added. In SENA nations, Gill has yet to register a century, averaging 25.70. Meanwhile, in the three Tests he has played in England, Gill has only managed scores of 28, 15, 1, 0, 17 and 4. The spotlight will be on him when India face England in the first Test. A defeat could just increase the pressure, whereas a win in the first Test could see a strong start for India's new generation of cricketers.
Hindustan Times
7 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
No Shubman Gill at No. 4, KL Rahul not to open: India's batting unit for 5 England Tests finalised by ex-BCCI selector
India's upcoming England Test series, which is scheduled to start from June 20, will see a new generation take over the mantle, with the appointment of Shubman Gill as the new red-ball skipper. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and R Ashwin are not part of the Test setup anymore, having announced their retirements. Ravindra Jadeja and Jasprit Bumrah are the only remaining members from the previous core group. India's top order is likely to bear a new look with Sai Sudharsan set to make his Test debut, and Karun Nair expected to make a comeback after eight years. Many fans thought that with the retirement of Rohit, Gill would open the innings with young Yashasvi Jaiswal. But Sudharsan's arrival brings in additional depth and the GT batter was in good form in IPL 2025. Speaking to Hindustan Times, former India cricketer and ex-BCCI selector Venkatapathy Raju weighed in on the probable batting template which head coach Gautam Gambhir will employ in the opening Test vs England. Raju also felt that Gill could make the No. 3 slot his own, especially with the inclusion of Sudharsan. Meanwhile, Raju, who was a selector for India's victorious 2007 World T20 squad, also felt that KL Rahul could fill in at No. 4, which had long been Kohli's position. 'I think Gill can be no. 3. So you've got Yashasvi Jaiswal, Sai Sudarshan and Karun Nair. You can choose from these three in that opening slot. Gill can be No. 3 and No. 4 can be KL Rahul. So that adds a little more strength in the batting,' he said. Predicting the opening pair, he added, 'And then you've got Rishabh Pant and Ravindra Jaleja. You've got all these guys coming back. Gill can come number three. It's just my opinion. We're not talking about what they've planned. So I think if you ask me, because he's leading, so he'll get enough time to just relax and then walk into the bat happily. So Jaiswal and Sudharsan can open, with Gill at No. 3 and KL No. 4. No.5 can be Pant.' Kohli's departure will also see Rahul fall under immense pressure, if he bats in the No. 4 slot. Kohli took over in that slot from Sachin Tendulkar in 2013, and had never batted at No. 4 in Tests before that, but soon made it his own. After Kohli pulled out of the home series vs England last year, Rahul filled in at No. 4 in the first Test in Hyderabad and registered 86 and 22, before missing rest of the series due to injury. Watch India tour of England from 3:30 PM, June 20th onwards LIVE On Sony Sports Ten 1 & Sony Sports Ten 5 channels
