Ahead of his side's Indian Premier League match against Mumbai Indians, Kolkata Knight Riders assistant coach Abhishek Nayar hailed skipper Shreyas Iyer for his mental strength and positive approach to life.
Gambhir had taken charge of the team in July and the team will be playing its first Test in his tenure.
The rare honour, bestowed while Rohit Sharma is still an active player, sparked an outpouring of admiration and emotion from teammates, coaches, and fellow cricketers.
Unless a player picks up an injury in training, India's team is expected to wear the same look against a Pakistan squad that are without top stars Babar Azam and Mohammad Rizwan, lending it a look of youth and experience.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir will rejoin the touring party on Tuesday after he returned to India due to 'personal reasons,' according to ESPNcricinfo.
'If a player who is not being selected after scoring so many runs in the IPL, then there is some other reason for his non-inclusion.'
This Asia Cup has charred the relationship between India and Pakistan players.
'There was a time when I was in a quality over quantity mindset in international cricket and did not hit enough balls. Now I am back to enjoying hitting a lot of balls in the nets.'
Mumbai's 'Man of all Seasons' Abhishek Nayar once again brought his best out in pressure situation to guide the defending champions to the semi-final of the Ranji Trophy beating Hyderabad by 30 runs in a closely-contested last-eight encounter on Tuesday.
Matthew Sandery, head curator at the Dubai international stadium, was spotted near Gautam Gambhir and Sitanshu Kotak, but did not ask them to keep away. Incidentally, the BCCI, being the hosts, can even suggest the kind of wicket they would need for the match.
The Indian players got down to business on Friday with an intense session in the nets under the watchful eyes of head coach Gautam Gambhir.
The likes of Yashaswi Jaiswal, Dhruv Jurel, Abhimanyu Easwaran, Sarfaraz Khan, Nitish Reddy, Harshit Rana, Akash Deep and Prasidh Krishna are on their maiden Test tour of Australia.
Ahead of the nets, they asked the staff to draw extended white lines along off and leg stumps at four practice nets, an exercise generally aimed at keeping batters aware of the line and lengths.
Assistant Coach Abhishek Nayar has spearheaded the establishment of a temporary training facility in bustling Mumbai.
Some felt India should not have been so ruthless with the UAE and could have opted to bat first, as they hadn't played a T20 match for a while.
IPL broadcaster Star Sports denied airing the audio of any personal conversation involving Rohit Sharma.
Rohit Sharma on Sunday lashed out at the IPL broadcasters for 'breaching' cricketers' privacy
Arshdeep Singh performing under pressure in the Super Over against Sri Lanka can be attributed to meditation and yoga that he practices regularly.
From working in a garment factory, selling bread, and driving an autorickshaw, the 24-year-old fast bowler's path to representing domestic giants Mumbai was anything but easy.
Reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders will hope that their strife-ridden batting unit will tighten its act against in-form table-toppers Gujarat Titans in the IPL match in Kolkata on Monday.
Here's a glimpse of India's new faces and veterans sweating it out...
Mumbai all-rounder Abhishek Nayar and medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni have been reprimanded by the Mumbai Cricket Association and dropped for a pre-season tournament in Nagpur later this month on disciplinary grounds.
Virat Kohli spent about 45 minutes in the nets and pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah bowled full tilt as the Indian cricket team on Friday began its preparations
Mumbai consolidated their position on Day 2 of the Ranji Trophy quarter-final against Baroda at the Wankhede stadium on Monday. Resuming at the overnight score of 272 for 3, the hosts continued to pile on the runs to end the day on 524 for 6. Abhishek Nayar was unbeaten on a well-made 122. Giving him company was Ankit Chavan on 17, the two having put on 55 for the seventh wicket.
Abhishek Nayar stole the limelight on the opening day of the Indian Premier League with a masterful 35 off 14 deliveries that was instrumental in Mumbai Indian beating Chennai Super Kings by 19 runs.
'What makes Shubman Gill stand out is his adaptability.'
With over 500 runs, six crucial catches, the most by an Indian on the tour, Rahul led by example and lived up to his wiseman tag.
Kolkata Knight Riders and Team India are going through a transition as Gautam Gambhir steps away from the franchise to pursue national objectives.
All-rounder Abhishek Nayar cracked an unbeaten 111 after coming into the Mumbai side following an injury lay-off to help the holders recover from a difficult pre-lunch period on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal against Delhi in Mumbai on Sunday.
With Gautam Gambhir now part of the setup, there is renewed hope for a turnaround in Rahul's Test career. Gambhir's belief in Rahul's abilities, combined with his guidance, could help unlock his true potential and bring the expected consistency.
All-rounder Abhishek Nayar scored the third century of the innings for Mumbai as the hosts notched up a massive total of 570 against a poor Railways bowling attack on the second day of the Ranji Trophy group league game in Mumbai.
Fresh from their morale-boosting win over LSG, and bolstered by the return of India wicketkeeper-batter K L Rahul, Delhi Capitals will look to build on the momentum when they take on formidable Sunrisers Hyderabad in the IPL match in Visakhapatnam on Sunday.
Roundup of the Ranji Trophy matches played at various places
The ICC has rated Chennai's M A Chidambaram Stadium pitch, used for India's Test match against Bangladesh in September, as 'very good'
Mumbai captain Ajit Agarkar was ruled out of the Irani Trophy match against Rest of India with an injury, a MCA official said on Monday.
The Men in Blue, led by newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, arrived in Sri Lanka for a six-match white-ball series on Monday.
Rinku Singh attempted the falling reverse lap scoop and reverse pull by using the pace off Ravi Bishnoi's googlies, similar to Rishabh Pant's audacious stroke-making.
South African pacers blew away the top half before Abhishek Nayar (100) and Shikhar Dhawan (70) resuscitated Board President's XI with a 181-run seventh wicket stand on the opening day of the two-day practice match in Nagpur on Tuesday.
Sachin Tendulkar failed to convert a good start as favourites Mumbai struggled to score runs on a difficult track against minnows Services in the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Delhi on Wednesday. The 39-time champions, having electing to bat, ended the first day's play on 198 for 6.
India's cricket team boasts a wealth of talent, with numerous players capable of taking on leadership roles. The Indian team doesn't have a designated vice-captain and assistant coach Abhishek Nayar said it does not need one.
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