“Winning these matches are important” – Former India cricketer on significance of 2025 IND vs ENG T20I series for under-fire coach Gautam Gambhir
Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar recently highlighted the importance of the five-match T20I series against England. The cricketer-turned-commentator opined these games are crucial for head coach Gautam Gambhir as he looks to turn things around after the Men in Blue lost back-to-back Test series against New Zealand and Australia as well as the ODI series in Sri Lanka.
Manjrekar believes that the five-game series could help the Men in Blue build momentum ahead of the three-match ODI series against England and the ICC 2025 Champions Trophy. He added that Gambhir will be judged on his performance in the ICC event and India's upcoming tour of England.
The 59-year-old told ESPNcricinfo (from 9:30):
"Let’s hope that he [Gautam Gambhir] can feel a little settled and the pressure is off him. He’ll have a new bunch of young players which is likely an easier challenge for him than the one that he had in Australia. So, winning these matches are important."
"It’ll just get him to feel part of that team but what will happen in the Champions Trophy and the England tour could spoil all the good work that he could’ve done before that. So, those are the two tournaments,” he added.
Gambhir won two back-to-back T20I series with T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav against Sri Lanka (3-0) and Bangladesh (3-0).
“This will be a good test of a very good T20 Indian side” – Sanjay Manjrekar warns India against England
Sanjay Manjrekar, meanwhile, warned India not to be complacent against England in the T20I series. He said in the same video from (2:47):
“When you start reading from top to bottom, [England] looks a very good side. Their seam bowling is covered, there’s a bit of quality there. They’ve got a spinner in Adil Rashid, who’s a game-changer as a wrist spinner, and a lot of bowling options. People like Liam Livingstone, [is] primarily there for batting but can turn in as off-spinner and leg-spinners and bowl three overs like India found out in the semis of the T20 World Cup in Australia.”
“On paper, England looks like a strong side and that’s why I think this will be a good test of a very good T20 Indian side as well because they are taking on an opposition that looks really strong,” he added.
India’s squad for T20I series against England: Suryakumar Yadav (C), Sanju Samson (wk), Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Hardik Pandya, Rinku Singh, Nitish Kumar Reddy, Axar Patel (vc), Harshit Rana, Arshdeep Singh, Mohammed Shami, Varun Chakaravarthy, Ravi Bishnoi, Washington Sundar, Dhruv Jurel (wk).