Former India spinner says head coach Gautam Gambhir has tough decisions irrespective of Champions Trophy result
Anil Kumble, the former India captain and legspinner, believes the team must start setting transition plans in motion after the ongoing Champions Trophy, and build a new, younger team capable of challenging for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Speaking on ESPNcricinfo’s Matchday show ahead of India’s opening game against Bangladesh, Kumble said that head coach Gautam Gambhir will have some “tough calls” to make, irrespective of how the current team fares in the Champions Trophy.
“You could say this is a very important tournament for a coach who has to make those tough calls in terms of transitioning from the legacy players to the others,” Kumble said. “But that’s the job of the coach, to make those hard decisions.
“This tournament could determine where those seniors would go, and where India would look at making those changes. Win or lose, you need these tough calls to be made at the earliest. You need to start looking ahead in white-ball cricket, especially at the 2027 World Cup.”
While Gambhir has a stellar record in T20Is as head coach, with 16 wins and just two losses, his credentials in ODIs and Tests have been less impressive. India lost a bilateral ODI series to Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years, while in Tests, they were beaten 3-0 at home by New Zealand before losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 3-1 in Australia.
Kumble stressed on the need for Gambhir to introduce young blood in the squad and ensure the new group of players have “at least 20-25 matches together” before the next ODI World Cup.
“In any World Cup, you’re looking at building a squad that has played at least 20 or 25 matches together. That’s when you understand the nuances of match situations, and who to rely on. Ideally, at the end of this tournament, you must start looking ahead to the next World Cup. Do the seniors make it there? Or do we give the opportunity to youngsters to take the team forward in the shorter formats and build a strong unit? These are questions Gambhir needs to address.
“He (Gambhir) has a fresh, young team and plenty of players to choose and build from, so he needs to organically start preparing for the 2027 World Cup. In T20Is, he’s done well. Suryakumar Yadav has been a great captain. The next World Cup is still two years from now, and the new set of players will need a consistent run of games playing with each other, to understand many things like the batting order, match situation, and tactics.”
