The next six weeks could well define Gautam Gambhir’s legacy as India’s head coach. With the T20 series beginning today, this represents Gambhir’s final opportunity to streamline India’s title defence ahead of the World Cup, which begins on February 7 with a match against the USA in Mumbai.
Gambhir has been on the receiving end of considerable criticism over the past two months. A below-par showing in red-ball cricket against South Africa, followed by a 1–2 series loss to New Zealand in the 50-over format, has pushed matters to the brink.
However, I would not read too much into the white-ball defeat. Fifty-over cricket is largely inconsequential at the moment, with the next World Cup still 20 months away. What happens now will not significantly impact World Cup preparations, and every team will evolve in the interim. While red-ball cricket remains a genuine concern, the same cannot be said for the 50-over format.
It is true that the selectors will have to take a key call on Ravindra Jadeja, with Axar Patel waiting in the wings, but this decision is unlikely to affect India’s World Cup build-up. There has also been some discussion around Rohit Sharma. He was Player of the Series against Australia and impressive against South Africa. If players are judged after every match and every series, then that is a problem. Shreyas Iyer, too, failed to deliver against New Zealand – will we begin questioning him as well?
Coming back to Gambhir, T20 cricket is his preferred format. He has enjoyed success here and understands the template well. Crucially, he also has an excellent squad at his disposal. The addition of four key match-winners will inevitably transform the side, and India will be buoyed by the return of Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakravarthy and, most importantly, Hardik Pandya. Pandya remains India’s most valuable T20 player and brings vital balance to the team.
Sanju Samson and Abhishek are likely to provide aggression at the top, while Gambhir will hope Tilak Varma regains fitness in time and Suryakumar Yadav returns to form. In fact, my attention will be firmly on the captain during the New Zealand series — does he bat at No. 3, or does he remain at No. 4 and give Ishan Kishan an opportunity at one drop?
Either way, this is a highly capable Indian side. While knockout games are always unpredictable — one innings or one spell can change everything — it is also true that if asked to predict the winner of a bilateral T20 series between India and any other team, India would be my pick. That is how strong this team is, and heading into the World Cup, there is every reason to believe they have a genuine chance.
For Gambhir, this tournament is what truly matters. A World Cup victory will silence all criticism and give him the breathing space to refocus on red-ball cricket in August. A below-par campaign, however, will bring the knives out. I, for one, cannot wait for the action to unfold in Nagpur in the first IDFC First Bank T20 International.
Follow Revsportz for latest sports news
