Courtesy: BCCI/X
Gautam Gambhir, the head coach of the Indian cricket team, addressed the press ahead in Mumbai before leaving for Australia for the five-match Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) Test series, starting on November 22. When the 43-year-old was asked about why Nitish Kumar Reddy was picked in the Indian squad ahead of experienced players, he remarked that cricket is about “moving forward,” which can be considered as an indication that the veteran all-rounder Shardul Thakur’s days in the national team are over.
Although there was no direct mention of Shardul Thakur’s name by Gautam Gambhir, the 33-year-old’s career in the longest format of the game has been a stop-start one. During the BGT Test series down under in 2021, Shardul Thakur scored a vital fifty and picked up seven wickets, to help India win the fourth and deciding Test at the Gabba, and claim the series 2-1, while his performance at The Oval against England a few months later was quite a similar one.
I feel that this is the best set of players that we have selected: Gautam Gambhir on India's BGT squad
During the press conference, Gautam Gambhir addressed the reasoning behind picking younger players in the Indian squad for the BGT Test series. He was quoted as saying, as per the Indian Express, “It is also about moving forward (preferring Nitish Kumar Reddy over Shardul Thakur in the Indian squad) and I feel that this is the best set of players that we have selected to do the job for the country.”
Notably, Shardul Thakur last played a Test match for India at the end of the year 2023 when South Africa defeated them in a one-sided contest at the SuperSport Park in Centurion by an innings and 32 runs. Since then, he has been out of action for the majority of this year after undergoing foot surgery, following the conclusion of the IPL 2024 before making his return in domestic cricket with Mumbai.
Gautam Gambhir also alluded to the talent and skill possessed by the young Nitish Kumar Reddy, who is just 21 years of age. He said, “Nitish Reddy, we all know how incredibly talented he is. If given a chance, he will do well for the team. This is the best set of players we have selected to do the job for the country.”
