“Gautam Gambhir is picking his own team” - Former India cricketer slams India’s team combination for 2025 Champions Trophy
Former India cricketer Atul Wassan blamed Gautam Gambhir for brandishing his authority in team selection in the ongoing Champions Trophy 2025. The Men in Blue put out a combination against Bangladesh in their opening match, which saw big names like Rishabh Pant and Arshdeep Singh confined to the bench.
Criticism has been a recurring theme since the announcement of the Champions Trophy squad. Harshit Rana's fast-tracking and Mohammed Siraj's exclusion were slammed by fans and pundits alike. Soon after, the decision to include Varun Chakravarthy as the fifth spinner in place of Yashasvi Jaiswal also copped the blame.
The selection conundrum was a massive one when it came to the first-choice wicketkeeper as both KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant presented themselves as ideal candidates. However, the former has been preferred heavily, playing consistently since the ODI series against England, leaving Pant on the bench.
“You let Bangladesh score 228 runs after they were 35/5. Big teams will eat you up if you let them do that. Gautam Gambhir is picking his own team. I am just very upset that Rishabh Pant is not playing. I don’t know why. What is going on? Pant is a mercurial player, whom the other team is scared of. Because they know that he can win matches on his own,” Atul Wassan told ANI (via Inside Sport).
Apart from the ODI series loss during the Sri Lanka tour, Gautam Gambhir has a credible record as a white-ball coach. The former player recently guided the side to a T20 series win over England and a whitewash in the ODI series.
"That player will go from hero to zero" - Atul Wassan on Team India's decision to consistently keep Pant on the bench
Gautam Gambhir addressed the wicketkeeping selection after the ODI series against England. He asserted that KL Rahul remains the first-choice option in the team, and Pant has to wait for his opportunity.
The Karnataka wicketkeeper has recovered from a couple of poor scores in the early part of the England series. He scored a quickfire cameo in the third ODI against England and scored a vital unbeaten 41 in the run chase against Bangladesh recently.
“KL Rahul is a great player. But I don’t know what they see in him that he is playing Test matches, ODIs, and everything. Rishabh Pant is on the bench now. This is how you ruin players. If you put a good player in a situation where he keeps thinking whether he will play or not, that player will go from hero to zero,” Atul Wassan added.
Team India will face arch-rivals Pakistan next in the Champions Trophy 2025 group stage on Sunday, February 23, at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium.