New era, old problems: Blunders made by Gautam Gambhir in his first squad selection

Gautam Gambhir’s reign as head coach of the Indian cricket team has begun, but not without its fair share of questions. The BCCI’s selection of the white-ball squads for the upcoming Sri Lanka tour has raised eyebrows, with some key decisions sparking debate among fans and pundits alike.

From the surprise appointment of a new T20I captain of Suryakumar Yadav to the omission of potential stars in Abhishek Sharma, this article delves into the talking points surrounding the squads, analyzing the rationale behind the BCCI’s bewildering choices and exploring the potential impact on India’s white-ball future.

How did Suryakumar pip Pandya as T20I skipper?

When Hardik Pandya was Rohit Sharma’s deputy during the ODI World Cup 2023 and T20 World Cup 2024, the premier all-rounder looked destined to take the reigns in the shortest format. And when Rohit announced his decision to retire, fans assumed that Pandya would take the role of captaincy in T20Is until news broke that BCCI has chosen SKY. It came as a huge surprise as Pandya was the regular Indian skipper in the shortest format post the 2022 T20 World Cup.

Pandya was stripped off any leadership role as Shubman Gill was handed the vice-captain duties, about which we will discuss later on. Pandya should definitely feel hard done by, having led the country 16 times previously. No doubt that Suryakumar is a gun T20 player but his credentials as captain are far more inferior than Pandya, who led Gujarat Titans (GT) to an IPL title in its inaugural season in 2022. As per the pecking order as well, it should’ve been Pandya nonetheless.

Where is Abhishek Sharma?

A perfect new-age T20 opener, astounding IPL numbers, partner for Yashasvi Jaiswal, and a sole centurion in the recent series against Zimbabwe. Abhishek Sharma clicked all the boxes as a perfect T20 batter but still BCCI chose to ignore him! Abhishek’s partnership with Travis Head was blazing earlier this year with SRH. In fact, in most of the matches, Abhishek (204.22 SR) overshadowed Head (191.5 SR). And it looks like India have ousted an even better player who made the nation lose two ICC trophies!

India have gone with two openers in Jaiswal and Gill, with the latter not being as aggressive as the modern-day game requires. Instead, the team should look at Gill as a number three and give chances to Jaiswal and Abhishek as top two.

Why Riyan Parag, especially in ODIs?

While it was a bold move to drop Ravindra Jadeja from the one-day internationals, and well done on that by Gautam Gambhir. However, the major talking point become the surprise inclusion of Riyan Parag. Parag had a breakout IPL 2024 season and was simply superb in the domestic season last year.

However, the Assam-born had a dull T20I series against Zimbabwe, scoring just 24 runs at a strike rate of under 89. While Parag has been given a deserved backing in T20Is, his inclusion in the 50-over format was a huge shock. His addition meant India had to ignore Sanju Samson, whose century in the last ODI didn’t force the management to add him.

Only time will tell whether Parag can justify his selection in the ODI squad. Regardless, the exclusion of Samson raises major questions on the management, head by chief selector Ajit Agarkar.

Shubman Gill vice-captain in T20Is not needed

Shubman Gill’s appointment as vice-captain for both the T20I and ODI squads for the Sri Lanka tour has garnered mixed reactions. While his ODI credentials are undeniable, his T20I record is less impressive. There’s no denying Gill’s talent. His elegance at the crease in ODIs make him a future captaincy prospect. The vice-captaincy role can be a valuable grooming ground, providing him with valuable experience leading the team alongside the captain.

However, T20Is demand a different skillset altogether. Gill’s strength lies in constructing a solid innings, which might not always translate well to the high-risk, high-reward nature of T20s. His inclusion as vice-captain suggests he might be slotted into the playing XI automatically, potentially hindering team flexibility.

Why Siraj, why not Mukesh?

The T20 World Cup 2024 winner Mohammed Siraj has been one of the most improved Indian pacers since 2022. However, he has scarcely played the shortest format, playing just 13 games overall in his career. In those game, he has 13 scalps, that too, at an average of over 30. However, he has been chosen in the T20I team over Mukesh Kumar, who was India’s best pacer in the series against Zimbabwe, taking eight wickets at a stunning average of 9.38.

Team India squads vs Sri Lanka

T20I: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (WK), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohd. Siraj.

ODI: Rohit Sharma (C), Ꮪhubman Gill (VC), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (WK), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.