Credit: ICC
India head coach Gautam Gambhir attended a press conference following India’s four-wicket win against Australia in the Champions Trophy 2025 semi-final played at the Dubai International Stadium. At the press meet, Gambhir also talked about Virat Kohli’s future in Team India after the conclusion of the mega ICC event. In India’s knockout triumph against the Aussies, Kohli slammed his 74th ODI fifty and played an instrumental role with his bat. The 36-year-old played the knock of 84 off 98 and won the player of the match (POTM) award for his match-winning innings.
Gambhir commended Virat Kohli’s calibre as a batter and his remarkable ODI record. He also said Virat has the tendency to acclimatise to conditions swiftly. "He is a phenomenal one-day cricketer. He knows how to plan his runs, he knows how to plan, whether he is batting first or chasing and he knows that he adapts to the conditions really quickly and that is why experience and high-quality players are very important and it is the reason why he has got that kind of record in one day cricket and I hope he continues to do that in the future as well," Gambhir remarked.
Gambhir defends captain Rohit Sharma
India captain Rohit Sharma, who didn’t look decent in Tests recently, was defended by his head coach Gambhir. In the ongoing competition, Rohit has delivered fine starts to India with his fierce opening batting but has failed to convert them into big scores. Gambhir praised Rohit’s formidable batting attitude and impact in this tournament. He also went on to appreciate Rohit’s contribution with the bat. During the presser, Gambhir was asked about Rohit’s current form and future in Team India.
"Look, the final of the Champions Trophy is now coming up. What can I say before that? If your captain bats with such a tempo, it just gives a very good signal to the dressing room that we want to be absolutely fearless and courageous. You evaluate from the runs; we evaluate from the impact. That's the difference. You evaluate from the stats; we evaluate from the impact. As journalists, as experts, you only look at numbers, averages. But as a coach, as a team, we don't look at numbers or averages. If the captain puts up his hand first, then there is nothing better than that for the dressing room," said Gambhir replying to the reporter's question.
