Kaif also questioned Gill's tactical choices on debut, especially the call to leave out Kuldeep -- a bowler capable of turning games in Australia's own backyard.
With the much-anticipated Group A clash against arch-rivals Pakistan looming, India is sparing no effort in their training sessions, honing skills and strategising tactics.
Shreyas Iyer sustained a lower left rib cage injury while attempting a difficult running catch during the third ODI against Australia in Sydney.
The cricketing ecosystem has learned to survive the prolonged absence of Kohli and Rohit -- at least in two formats -- in this interim period.
Gambhir has backed young pacers Harshit Rana and Arshdeep Singh, along with the experienced Mohammed Shami, to step up in Bumrah's absence.
Kuldeep was instrumental to India's success at the Asia Cup, topping the wicket-taking chart with 17 wickets. Chopra explained the rationale behind dropping the left-arm wrist spinner, attributing it to batting depth.
Jasprit Bumrah has been ruled out of the ICC Champions Trophy with a back injury.
India's new ODI vice-captain Shreyas Iyer might be forced to remain out of action for minimum three weeks
Earlier, warm-up routines had players darting through shuttle runs and high knees before bats were unsheathed.
The charismatic presence of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma alongside a host of top India cricketers lends unprecedented gravitas to the Vijay Hazare One-Day Trophy beginning on Wednesday, giving all of them a chance to prove a point amid a renewed focus on domestic grind.
Shubman Gill enjoyed a phenomenal run with the bat in England, piling up 754 runs at an average of 75.40 with four centuries.
Rishabh Pant's place in the playing eleven is far from guaranteed, while Washington Sundar and Nitish Kumar Reddy are locked in a tight contest for the additional all-rounder's slot as India confront several selection dilemmas ahead of the first ODI against South Africa in Ranchi.
The focus is to bring momentum back into the Indian dressing room: Morne Morkel
The likes of Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Sanju Samson, Shivam Dube and Axar Patel would all like to get some decent hit out there in the middle ahead of Sunday's clash against Pakistan.
KKR's Mitchell Starc rose to the occasion in the biggest game of the season.
India will take on the UAE in their tournament-opener on September 10 before facing arch rivals Pakistan at Dubai on September 14. Their third group match will be against Oman on September 19 before the Super Four stage.
Suryakumar Yadav lauded his team's resilience after a disastrous start, crediting Hardik Pandya and Shivam Dube for steering the innings
Barring Jasprit Bumrah, who got five wickets in England's first innings, none of the other bowlers looked penetrative as the hosts chased down a target of 371 with minimum fuss.
"He needs to rotate strike, keep the scoreboard moving": Pathan on Virat ahead of 3rd Sydney ODI
Australia held their nerve in a tense chase, edging past India by two wickets to seal the series 2-0 despite a late fightback from the visitors on Thursday in Adelaide.
When players select themselves, the selectors' job becomes delightfully simple. But did the Indian selectors have that luxury while picking the T20 World Cup squad for the 2026 T20 World Cup? asks K R Nayar.
Skipper Suryakumar Yadav will depend heavily on his spin troika as India gear up for yet another demolition act of Pakistan in what promises to be an intense and tense Super 4 face-off of the Asia Cup in Dubai on Sunday.
The JioStar expert also analysed KKR's buys at the auction, saying that getting NZ all-rounder Rachin Ravindra at base price was smart and there is "serious batting power" in the squad.
Grind pays off for Ruturaj Gaikwad, now upto him and luck to prove his 50-over mettle.
'How can an Indian match referee allow this Indian replacement? Match officials should be independent to prevent bias.'
North East were 65 for 2, 475 runs in arrears, when bad light and rain forced an early closure to their first dig on Thursday.
Head coach Gambhir, captain Gill, men's squad send best wishes to Harmanpreet-led side for Women's World Cup final
KL Rahul, Axar Patel, and Harshit Rana Face Rohit Sharma's Wrath
Pat Cummins captured the sentiment perfectly, calling this potentially the 'last chance' for fans Down Under to witness these legends in action. With both stalwarts set to be 39 and 40 respectively by the 2027 World Cup, every appearance carries added significance. Ro-Ko have been the heartbeat of Indian cricket for over 15 years. Their return brings an emotional lift to the team and raises expectations for the series against the world champions.
KKR, CSK to engage in bidding war in IPL mini-auction with big purse in hand
Young Delhi all-rounder Harshit Rana showed his all-round prowess as North Zone finished the opening day of their Duleep Trophy semi-final against South Zone.
Left-arm seamer Arshdeep Singh on Friday etched his name into the record books by becoming the first Indian bowler to claim 100 wickets in T20 internationals.
The controversial decision to select Shubman Gill in place of a well-settled Sanju Samson as the opener has backfired for the Indian team so far.
While Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli batted. Mohammed Shami looked good as in ran in with steam in the nets.
As India gear up for the T20 World Cup at home, the selectors have backed a squad built on impact, and versatility.
The lack of runs from captain Suryakumar Yadav and his deputy Shubman Gill remains a talking point.
A round-up of the Ranji Trophy matches played on Saturday.
Young pacer Harshit Rana is enjoying a dream run with the ball in IPL 2024.
Arshdeep Singh has enough experience to understand that the Indian team management is trying different combinations looking at the bigger picture, bowling coach Morne Morkel said.
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