It is not often that an India match is around the corner, but still, it doesn’t garner massive buzz. The Rohit Sharma-led team is about to host New Zealand for the third and final Test at Wankhede Stadium. However, the IPL 2025 retentions have gained all the hype and traction, with several big names expected to get released. Regardless, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has remained firm that the Indian team has not been bothered with the glitz of IPL retentions.
IPL retention is nothing to be spoken about, says Gambhir
During the pre-match press conference, Gautam Gambhir said, “IPL retention has nothing to be spoken about, we have a Test match here.” From the likes of Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, to Rishabh Pant, every Indian player is among the headlines for their retention or release from their respective IPL franchise. Take Pant for example. The southpaw is undoubtedly the best Indian Test batter currently. However, he is expected to leave behind his eight-year allegiance with the Delhi Capitals (DC). One can only ponder how all these developments take shape in a cricketer’s mind.
Pune loss hurting to Gambhir
After a record span of 12 years, India finally lost a Test series at home. It is fair to say that New Zealand simply outclassed India across all three departments in the first two Tests. The Indian batters had no clue against Mitchell Santner’s spin and got decimated with a 113-run loss in Pune. Gambhir didn’t shy away from claiming that he is ‘hurt’ after the loss but backed the team to keep moving forward.
“I am not going to sugarcoat that it is hurting. It should hurt and that will make us better. What is wrong in being in this position? I am sure this will push the youngsters to be better cricketers. If we have results like Kanpur, might as well have results like this and keep moving forward,” said Gambhir.
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