India cricketers, along with coach Gautam Gambhir, visited Shri Jagannath Temple in Odisha's Puri on Tuesday to seek blessings ahead of the first T2OI of the five-match series against South Africa, set to be played on the same day at Cuttack's Barabati Stadium.
Ahead of the fourth T20I at Carrara Oval in Queensland, Coach Gautam Gambhir was spotted in a long conversation with Shubman Gill during India's training session.
Gambhir didn't name him 'most stylish'. Instead, he chose Shubman Gill for that tag
Gautam Gambhir got the ultimate birthday gift as India completed a commanding 2-0 series sweep over the West Indies at the Arun Jaitley Stadium on Monday.
'The atmosphere he has created in the team -- he has tried to infuse a culture of playing for the team and not focusing on personal milestones.'
At this moment, the Indian think tank is doing a tough balancing act of building the team around a new set of players without completely cutting ties with the old guard.
Tilak Varma says he is ready to play a cautious, anchoring role alongside Suryakumar Yadav in the T20 World Cup if the situation demands, and confirms Jasprit Bumrah's fitness for the upcoming match against Namibia.
Former India batter Suresh Raina has backed under-fire national head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying the team's recent poor run in home Tests cannot be attributed to the support staff, as players must shoulder responsibility for the results.
India's first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev says a modern-day head coach's role is more about "managing" players than actually coaching them, amid criticism surrounding Gautam Gambhir's working style.
'It has been a very transparent dressing room, it has been a very honest dressing room and that is how we want this dressing room to be.'
Gautam Gambhir, India's head coach, may have expressed support for the Kolkata pitch, but it continues to draw criticism from all quarters.
This year, Diwali started on Saturday, October 19 with Dhanteras and ends on October 23 with Bhai Dooj.
From Gill to Bumrah: India team, support staff, BCCI VP Shukla arrive at Gambhir's residence for special dinner
India's batting coach Sitanshu Kotak is livid with the criticism that has been directed towards head coach Gautam Gambhir after India's defeat to South Africa in the opening Test.
'They discuss with Gautam the ODI format, the matches that we have and our plans for South Africa.'
All-round performances from Shafali Verma and Deepti Sharma were the crowning jewels for the team in the title clash.
Batting great Sunil Gavaskar strongly defended India head coach Gautam Gambhir despite the humiliating 0-2 series whitewash at the hands of South Africa.
Rohit finished the ODI part of the tour as the highest run-getter with 202 runs, averaging 101 and was rightfully named Player of the Match and Player of the Series.
India's record sixth U-19 World Cup win drew praise from Virat Kohli, Gautam Gambhir and cricket legends worldwide after Vaibhav Sooryavanshi's stunning 175 sealed a 100-run victory over England.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has condoled the loss of lives in the blast in the national capital on Monday evening and wished for a speedy recovery to the injured.
'Emotions run high. You are expected to win pretty much every game. You are expected to win because you have been doing that consistently. You have the strength on your side to achieve those kinds of milestones and secure those kinds of victories. So, accountability and appraisal are always going to be there. So, it goes hand in hand.'
In this rivalry, numbers fade and national pride takes centre stage.
The ICC Cricketer of the Year in 2009, Gambhir went on to thank his family, friends and current Australia coach and former opener Justin Langer for helping him with his batting in 2015.
The 0-3 loss to New Zealand at home last year still haunts India head coach Gautam Gambhir and he also doesn't want his players to forget that rare drubbing in Tests as they build for the future.
Gautam Gambhir slammed critics who had advocated for split coaching for Team India after the recent Test series defeat against South Africa
Dhoni and Gambhir have not had the smoothest of relationships as teammates and it will be interesting to see how this pair goes on if Dhoni were to accept the offer to mentor the team at the T20I World Cup.
For a bowler this effective to be sidelined repeatedly, there must be either a very specific tactical reason -- or something unspoken within the dressing room dynamics.
'Gautam's heart is in the right place. He is always ready to fight for the country and the team.'
If he has to justify the faith the selectors have in him, Gautam Gambhir needs to return to doing what he does best: Score runs.
'His free-spirited character perfectly matches T20 cricket's essence, it's about freedom and expression.'
Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir will re-join Essex cricket team on Tuesday to play the remainder of his maiden English county season after he returned home for a brief period due to family issues.
Rohit Sharma was replaced as India's ODI captain by Shubman Gill last year despite winning the ICC Champions Trophy and T20 World Cup within a span of nine months.
Under-fire India head coach Gautam Gambhir says it is up to the Board of Control for Cricket in India to decide his future after the Test series whitewash against South Africa, but he reminded everyone of the success the team has achieved during his tenure at the helm.
Gautam Gambhir's penchant for shuffling cricketers has often come under sharp scrutiny, but the head coach insisted that "batting order is overrated" in white ball cricket, strongly hinting of him sticking to his trusted ways.
Gambhir said his only advice to Gill has been, "Just be himself".
'Some players will feel comfortable with a former player. Some players will be comfortable with a coach that's never played the game before but he's got a lot of years of experience of coaching the game.'
According to reports, Gambhir and the selectors will meet to decide on the new Indian captain in Tests and the squad for the five-match series.
The aura of home advantage -- long regarded as a hallmark of India's Test side -- seemed secure. But in barely over a year, that fortress has not just cracked, it has collapsed, raising uncomfortable questions about strategy, selection, and temperament.
Abhishek Sharma has been in hospital for the past two days.
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