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Gautam Gambhir believes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will be crucial for India’s 2025 Champions Trophy. Despite recent struggles, he has emphasized their value and passion for Indian cricket.
Rohit Sharma (L) and Virat Kohli. (AFP Photo)
Indian men’s head coach Gautam Gambhir believes Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will play a ‘massive role’ in the country’s 2025 Champions Trophy campaign. Gambhir said both senior players add ‘so much value’ to the Indian dressing room and are ‘so hungry’ and passionate to deliver for the country.
The trio of Gambhir, Rohit and Kohli has had a difficult last six months. Under their tutelage, India failed to make it to the 2025 World Test Championship final after back-to-back huge series defeats to New Zealand and Australia. Rohit and Kohli have suffered with a slump in the form, too.
For the skipper and his team’s most accomplished white-ball batter, the Champions Trophy — played in the 50-over format — will present a chance to clean the slate and prove themselves.
“I think both Rohit and Virat, they add so much value to the dressing room. They add so much value to Indian cricket as well. They’ve got to play a massive role (in the Champions Trophy). And I’ve said it before as well, those guys are so hungry, they want to play for the country. They have the passion to play for the country and deliver for the country,” Gambhir said at the BCCI Naman Awards ceremony in Mumbai on Saturday.
India’s campaign starts on February 20 against Bangladesh. The coach was asked about the key match against Pakistan on February 23 and he replied by maintaining that it would be just another game for his team.
“Look, we don’t go to the Champions Trophy thinking that the 23rd is the most important game for us. I think five games, all the games are important. The mission to go to Dubai is to win the Champions Trophy, not only win one particular game. But yes, if that is one game in the middle of winning the Champions Trophy, we’re going to try and take it as seriously as possible. And more importantly, I think when two countries, India and Pakistan, play against each other, obviously the emotions are really high, but ultimately the contest remains the same.”
Rohit and Kohli are among the highest run-scorers for India in the Champions Trophy with 481 and 529 runs respectively.
Selflessness and fearlessness the foundation of India’s T20I team: Gambhir
Rohit and Kohli have retired from T20Is but under Gambhir, India have carried on their form from the 2024 T20 World Cup. The Men in Blue recently won the five-match series against England 3-1 with the final clash on Sunday in Mumbai. Asked about his team’s philosophy, Gambhir said he and skipper Suryakumar Yadav are on the same page in trying to make the team ‘selfless’ and ‘fearless’.
“Me and Surya have been on the same page when we talk about selflessness and fearlessness. But yes, we want to be more smart going forward, because that is how we’re going to grow as a T20 team, and hopefully in all the other formats as well. But I think the guys have been absolutely phenomenal. They’ve got the skills, they’ve got the temperament, they’ve got all the ability,” he said.
