"You should never forget what happened in Bangladesh" - Gautam Gambhir urges India not to focus on personal milestones
Former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir has urged the likes of Virat Kohli not to focus on personal milestones and take into account the ODI series loss against Bangladesh last month.
India conceded a three-match ODI series by a 1-2 margin against Bangladesh last month. They lost the first two games to lose the series but won the dead rubber, thanks to Ishan Kishan's record-breaking double hundred.
However, the series defeat took a backseat after Kohli's century guided the Men in Blue to victory in the first ODI against Sri Lanka.
Top effort from the boys. We keep fighting. 🇮🇳 https://t.co/TvNFJjCQfY
Gambhir, however, insisted that the focus should be on collective performances rather than individual milestones. He also reckoned that the past should be taken into consideration as India fast-track their preparations for the ODI World Cup on home soil later this year.
Speaking on the host broadcaster, the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor said:
"We should not forget that India had lost its last ODI series against Bangladesh. We have forgotten about it. Yes, individual brilliance is important, and individual hundreds are important. It looks very nice when it comes to your record of getting 50 hundreds or 100 hundreds, but you should never forget what has happened in Bangladesh. Because that is going to be a huge learning.
“India's full strength losing to Bangladesh in Bangladesh, I think we should grow from there rather than focussing only on this series," Gambhir added. "What has happened in the past should not be forgotten."
India, however, have bounced back from the series loss in style, defeating Sri Lanka in the first two ODIs to take an unassailable 2-0 lead in the three-match rubber.
"He has scored tough runs for India whenever needed" - Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli
After a fine century in the first ODI, Virat Kohli departed cheaply in the second fixture in Kolkata on Thursday, January 12.
This led to many fans questioning his batting abilities under pressure along with criticizing the likes of Shubman Gill and Rohit Sharma.
Gambhir said "Virat Kohli has scored tough runs for India when they needed it".
Gautam Gambhir reckoned that youngsters like Gill should take a cue from Kohli and grind their way out in the middle.
"Virat Kohli is there because he is Virat Kohli," the former Indian opener said. "He has scored tough runs for India whenever needed."
Kohli will be in action once again when India lock horns with Sri Lanka in the third ODI in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, January 15.
Also Read: "Team needs bowlers who can beat a batter" - Sanjay Manjrekar backs Kuldeep Yadav's inclusion in India's ODI squad