Amid Vaibhav Sooryavanshi Debate, Gautam Gambhir Delivers No-Nonsense Response

Gautam Gambhir with Vaibhav Sooryavanshi and Sitanshu Kotak© X/Twitter

India coach Gautam Gambhir's tenure has been something of a paradox. While India have gone from strength to strength in the limited-overs formats, the same cannot be said about their Test performances. On top of that, Gambhir's stint has often been accompanied by speculation surrounding veterans Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, with discussions frequently spiralling out of proportion. In fact, the handling of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has also been widely discussed on social media. Gambhir, though, does not want to focus on the outside noise.

Gambhir on Sunday asserted that his job was not to make everyone happy but to take the right decisions rather than the popular ones. India boast considerable bench strength, and teenage batting sensation Sooryavanshi has had to wait for his opportunity, with Sanju Samson and Abhishek Sharma performing consistently at the top of the order. Both played key roles in India defending their T20 World Cup title earlier this year.

"First of all, my job is not to make everyone happy. My job is to take the right decisions, not the popular decisions. And that is what I'm there for," Gambhir told the broadcasters ahead of the fifth T20I against New Zealand in Hamilton.

He stressed that backing players who have performed consistently is also important to ensure a sense of security within the dressing room.

"No, it is very easy to take the popular decision. But for me, I think the important thing is to take the right decision and make sure that there is a lot of security inside the dressing room," he said.

"Because, as you just mentioned, there's a lot of talent. But again, I think guys who have done phenomenally well over a longer period of time obviously deserve a longer rope. And that is exactly how we approach the series."

India have already sealed the five-match series against New Zealand, having won the first three games.

Asked how he would keep the players motivated with the series already decided, Gambhir said: "When you're playing for your country, there is no complacency. You've obviously got to remember that it's an international game. Everyone knows how few privileged players get the opportunity to represent the country. For me, every game is an opportunity to do something different, to learn something and to evolve.

"And that is exactly how we approach the game. I think there are no dead rubbers in my philosophy, in my ideology, and the same philosophy applies in the dressing room as well."

The Indian T20I side arrived in New Zealand following a packed schedule that included back-to-back home series against Afghanistan and the West Indies, alongside participation in the Asian Games.

"It's been a very short turnaround as well. We finished on the 17th and flew on the 18th. We had one practice session. I've got to give it to the boys for the way they adapted to the conditions.

"A lot of boys are coming here for the first time. And we all know how dangerous New Zealand are in their own backyard. So again, the guys have adapted really well over the last four T20Is," he added.

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