"Both the senior players honored Gambhir" - Pragyan Ojha on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's participation in upcoming Sri Lanka ODIs
Former Indian spinner Pragyan Ojha feels Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma being part of the ODI squad for the upcoming Sri Lankan tour, which will be Gautam Gambhir's first as head coach, will help team clarity moving forward. After playing a pivotal role in helping India triumph in the 2024 T20 World Cup, the pair was expected to be on a break until the home season.
India will take on Sri Lanka in three T20Is, starting July 27, followed by three ODIs from August 2 to 7.
In an interview with Sports Tak, Ojha has explained why Kohli and Rohit honoring Gambhir and playing the Sri Lankan ODIs will hold the side in good stead in the future.
"We were hearing that perhaps Virat and Rohit will take a break from ODI. But Gautam Gambhir was starting his tenure, so he talked and gave clarity about his thoughts. So both the senior players honored him. So this is a good thing. This shows that there will be clarity in the team. The coach, captain, senior player, the core team, when they think in one direction, you get a good team. When you see the clarity in the team, you think the team can win," said Ojha.
Gautam Gambhir took over as Team India head coach from Rahul Dravid, who served the role from November 2021 till the 2024 T20 World Cup.
While the Rohit Sharma-led side won the T20 World Cup under Dravid, they suffered agonizing final defeats in the ODI World Cup and World Test Championship (WTC) final last year.
"Best thing is that the clarity of communication will be very good" - Pragyan Ojha
Pragyan Ojha feels the dynamic and communication between Gambhir, Kohli, and Rohit will be excellent thanks to the trio having played with each other in their respective careers.
With Gambhir expected likely to be the head coach for three years, Team India will be looking to win the Champions Trophy, WTC and the ODI World Cup between 2025 to 2027.
"How India will move forward, how Virat and Rohit will look at themselves. Because it is a Champions Trophy, after that, we are talking about the World Cup in 2027, how to reach there, what to do, so that road map will be made. And the best thing is that the clarity of communication will be very good. Because Gautam Gambhir, Virat and Rohit played a lot of cricket together. They know each other very well," said Ojha.
Kohli and Gambhir were teammates and crucial contributors to India's 2011 ODI World Cup triumph.
Meanwhile, Gambhir also played with Rohit during the side's title run in the inaugural T20 World Cup in 2007.