'I Would Like Everyone To Play': Gautam Gambhir Tells Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma To Play Domestic Cricket

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has come out in support of struggling stars Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli , saying they "still have the hunger to excel." However, Gambhir also emphasized the need for senior players, including the duo, to participate in domestic games and demonstrate their commitment to red-ball cricket.

Gautam Gambhir's comments come after India's disappointing performance in the Test series against Australia, where they lost 1-3, relinquishing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy and a spot in the World Test Championship final. Both Rohit and Kohli were out of form during the series, raising concerns about their future in the Test team.

Notably, Gambhir refrained from guaranteeing Rohit and Kohli's places in the Test setup, leaving their futures uncertain. The coach's straightforward approach reflects his commitment to making tough decisions to ensure the team's success.

"It's not the right moment right now for me to talk about where we are going to be after five months. A lot of things change in sport. Forms change, people change, attitude changes, everything changes in sport. And we all know that five months is a long time," Gambhir said at the post-series press conference.

"So let's see before the England series (in July) what's going to happen. But whatever will happen, will happen for the best interest of Indian cricket," asserted the former opener.

Rohit scored 31 runs in five innings before dropping himself from the playing eleven and Kohli managed 190 in nine knocks, including a second innings century after India had taken a lead of more than 300. A glaring failure for Kohli was his inability to avoid being dismissed on deliveries that were bowled outside the off stump.

Asked if he would like the seniors to play at least one round, if not two, of the Ranji Trophy starting January 23, Gambhir sent across a clear message.

"I would always like everyone to play domestic cricket. That is how much importance domestic cricket needs to be given. Not only one game, if they are available and they have the commitment to play red-ball cricket, everyone should play domestic cricket," Gambhir said.

"As simple as it can get. If you don't give importance to domestic cricket, you will never get the desired players that you want in Test cricket," he explained.

Virat Kohli last played a Ranji Trophy match in 2012 while Rohit Sharma's most recent domestic red-ball game was in the 2015-16 season.

The 'Ro-Ko' Dilemma  

The tough-talking former player refused to be drawn into a discussion on the much-speculated future of Kohli and Rohit, insisting that they are the best judge when it comes to analysing their role in Indian cricket.

"See, I can't talk about the future of any player, it's up to them as well. But yes, what I can say is that they still have the hunger, they still have the passion, they're tough people and hopefully they can continue to take Indian cricket forward," he said.

"...ultimately whatever they plan, they will plan for the best interest of Indian cricket." He wants the star duo to do some soul-searching as to where they stand.

"First of all, every individual knows where their game and hunger is. That is the most important thing for any sport and any profession.

"It is not just about the sport, how hungry you are, how passionate you are and whether the team is moving forward with your contributions or not," he pointed out.

I need to be fair to everyone  

Gautam Gambhir, in his pre-match press conference, spoke about honesty in the dressing room. He reiterated the position on Sunday, saying that his responsibility is to be fair to everyone irrespective of their experience and stature.

"If I am fair with only two or three individuals and not with others, then I am being dishonest to my job," he said.

"So, whether it is a player who has not made a debut yet or a player who has played 100 Test matches, the simple aim of my job is that I have to be absolutely fair and equal to everyone," he added.

During his days in Kolkata Knight Riders and Lucknow Super Giants, Gambhir often stressed about the need for a happy dressing room. He said that philosophy holds good for the Indian set-up too.

"If you're committed to what we are doing with honesty, I think that should be fine. And more importantly, to keep the dressing room happy, I have to be absolutely honest and equal and fair to everyone in that dressing room." 

Rohit has shown accountability  

Gautam Gambhir lauded Rohit Sharma for opting out of the fifth Test due to poor form.

"If a leader has taken this decision, I don't think there is any problem. We talked about accountability and that starts from the top and Rohit Sharma started that in the last match," the 43-year-old said.

'I am the first one to accept mistakes' 

When asked if there is an acceptance of everything that has gone wrong on the tour, Gautam Gambhir was quick to declare that he never runs from accountability.

"The first thing is that the person sitting here will accept the mistakes first. So, don't worry about the fact that the mistakes will not be accepted here," he replied. 

(With PTI inputs)