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NDTV
3 days ago
- Sport
- NDTV
Gautam Gambhir's 'Not A Selector' Comment Receives Brutal Jibe: "Only Rejects..."
The decision to include Shreyas Iyer in the Indian cricket team squad for the upcoming Test series against England has resulted in a lot of debate among fans and experts. Shreyas enjoyed a brilliant run of form in the last one year and although his IPL batting performance was quite impressive, he was not considered for the series. While chief selector Ajit Agarkar gave a detailed reason for not selecting him, head coach Gautam Gambhir just said that 'I am not the selector' - an indication that the coaching staff was not included in the process. During the 12th episode of Bails and Banter on the OTTplay app, former Indian pacer Atul Wassan took a slight dig at Gambhir - 'he doesn't select; he only rejects'. Wassan added that a coach plays a key role in team selection process. "If he (Gautam Gambhir) has been given this position, then I think he deserves to go with his feeling, whether it's right or wrong," he explained. Earlier, Gambhir hailed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for dedicating the final of IPL 2025 — scheduled for June 3 at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad — to the Indian Armed Forces, in honour of Operation Sindoor, the military response to the terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, which claimed 26 civilian lives. This gesture from the BCCI and IPL Governing Council marks a first-of-its-kind tribute in the league's history. The Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Naval Staff, and Chief of Air Staff have been officially invited to attend the grand finale. "It's an unbelievable step from BCCI. You know, we normally criticise the BCCI for various things, but this is unbelievable. This is something where I think BCCI has taken a great initiative from a point of view where the entire nation is one, and the entire nation has to salute the armed forces for what they do unconditionally, saving and protecting us," Gambhir told the reporters on the sidelines of the Goswami Ganesh Dutt Memorial Cricket Tournament. The IPL final, initially set for May 26, was rescheduled to June 3 following a week-long suspension of the tournament due to rising tensions between India and Pakistan. The escalation — and India's subsequent military action across the Line of Control and in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir — saw the nation rally around its armed forces, leading the BCCI to take a conscious call to align the tournament's climax with a patriotic tribute. Since the restart, every IPL match has opened with the national anthem, while digital boards across stadiums flash a constant message: 'Thank You, Armed Forces.' The initiative has received widespread appreciation from players and fans alike.
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First Post
4 days ago
- Sport
- First Post
'Gambhir doesn't select players; he only rejects': India coach slammed over Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from Test side
Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from India's Test squad for the England series has sparked controversy. Former cricketer has taken a dig at head coach Gautam Gambhir, who recently dismissed a question on Iyer's exclusion by saying, 'Main selector nahi hoon.'. read more Gautam Gambhir is being questioned after Shreyas Iyer was not picked in the Test side. Image: AP The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) recently announced an 18-member squad for the upcoming five-match Test series against England. Shreyas Iyer was one of the most surprising omissions as he was expected to make the side with Virat Kohli now retired from the longest format. Iyer was expected to be a part of the middle order. When asked about Iyer's exclusion, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir responded by saying, 'Main selector nahi hoon' (I am not a selector). But this comment didn't go well with many, including former India cricketer Atul Wassan. 'Gambhir doesn't select players; he only rejects,' Wassan said on OTT Play while taking a dig at Gambhir's remark. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD Gautam Gambhir criticised Wassan explained that the coach always has some role in team selection and that selectors usually listen to the coach's opinion before finalising the squad. 'The coach has a role in team selection, and selectors also listen to them before naming the squad,' Wassan said. Wassan, however, added that Gambhir deserves to select players on gut feeling because he is the coach right now. 'If Gambhir has been given this position, then I think he deserves to go with his feeling, whether it's right or wrong.' Iyer's exclusion also became a hot topic on social media. Many fans and experts have criticised the decision and questioned if it was really based on performance or something else. Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar recently said that the current leadership group picks players based on their own instincts rather than performance. 'Under Gambhir's stewardship and with Rohit not there anymore, I see a tendency in this management to pre-empt performances of individuals while making selections. As in, the dominating thought here is to apply their own view of the likely success and failure of players depending on conditions and opposition,' Manjrekar was quoted as saying by The Hindustan Times. Manjrekar cited the example of Sarfaraz Khan, who was not selected in the playing XI after three-four poor games last year. He was taken to Australia but did not play a match there and now he has b been dropped from the team altogether. 'Take the example of Sarfraz Khan. Three fifties and a 150 at home in four Tests and failures in only four innings after that and Sarfaraz does not get a single game in Australia. For the England tour too, he has been left out despite his performances in recent times outweighing Karun Nair's completely. So, this non-selection is not about performance, it's about someone important in the leadership group thinking Sarfaraz will not get runs in England and Australia, and Karun Nair will,' he said. STORY CONTINUES BELOW THIS AD
Hindustan Times
4 days ago
- Sport
- Hindustan Times
'He doesn't select; he rejects': Gambhir gets smashing reply for saying 'Main selector nahi hu' on Shreyas Iyer's snub
The Indian cricket team is set to tour England for five Test matches in June. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) unveiled an 18-member squad last Saturday, which received mixed reactions from fans and the cricketing fraternity. One of the most discussed topics was the omission of Shreyas Iyer, who had an excellent domestic and international outing. The selectors were questioned for ignoring Shreyas' brilliant form, with one journalist insisting that the chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, gave a detailed and elaborate answer. Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir was also asked about Shreyas Iyer's exclusion from the Test squad. In response, Gambhir said, "Main selector nahi hoon," translating to 'I am not the selector'. This reply indicated that the selection process doesn't involve coaching staff, which was quite surprising. During the 12th episode of Bails and Banter on the OTTplay app, former Indian pacer Atul Wassan took a hilarious dig at the Indian coach, saying, 'he doesn't select; he only rejects'. Reacting to Gambhir's comment, Wassan said that a coach plays a key role in the team selection process. He said, "The coach has a role in team selection, and selectors also listen to them before naming the squad." Wassan further defended the Indian head coach, saying that sometimes the coach has to go with the feel of selecting his choice of players, irrespective of being right or wrong. "If he (Gautam Gambhir) has been given this position, then I think he deserves to go with his feeling, whether it's right or wrong." Iyer's India record is not as much, but certainly not poor by any stretch of the imagination. In 14 matches, he's scored 811 runs, including a century on debut against New Zealand, only to follow it with a half-century. Besides, he scored a 92 against Sri Lanka and produced crucial knocks of 86 and 87 against Bangladesh to help India avoid a scare.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'I am ready': Cheteshwar Pujara breaks silence on Gautam Gambhir's phone call for England tour
Gautam Gambhir and Cheteshwar Pujara NEW DELHI: India's batting mainstays Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, along with ace spinner Ravichandran Ashwin, have retired from Test cricket, while star pacer Mohammed Shami will miss the crucial five-match series in England due to fitness issues. All eyes are now on the Shubman Gill-led Indian side, widely regarded as one of the most inexperienced teams to tour England in recent memory. Without the presence of Kohli and Rohit, India's batting line-up appears notably depleted. Could the selectors have considered recalling experienced campaigners like Cheteshwar Pujara or Ajinkya Rahane to strengthen the top order? Go Beyond The Boundary with our YouTube channel. SUBSCRIBE NOW! During a recent interview, Pujara was asked whether Gautam Gambhir had reached out to him regarding the England tour. "No, not yet," Pujara told Lallantop when asked, "Have you received a phone call from Gambhir yet?" The 103-Test veteran expressed his readiness to return if given the opportunity. RCB vs PBKS, IPL 2025, Qualifier 1: Quick singles from Mullanpur "I am ready. I don't know if they will take me or not. But if I get a chance, yes, it will be an honour to represent the country again. As a cricketer, you always feel that as long as you are fit, as long as you are contributing, and if I have a good performance in domestic cricket, and I am preparing well, if I get a chance, yes, I will be more than happy to be part of the team," Pujara said. Shubman Gill has been handed the responsibility of leading the Indian Test team through a 'massive transition' period, with the dynamic Rishabh Pant appointed as his deputy for what is expected to be a stern challenge in English conditions. At just 25, Gill becomes India's fifth youngest Test captain, following in the footsteps of Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (21), Sachin Tendulkar (23), Kapil Dev (24), and Ravi Shastri (25). The first Test against England is scheduled to begin on June 20 in Leeds. India Test squad vs England: Ajit Agarkar full press conference "Last year or so we have looked at Shubman (for leadership). We are hopeful he is the guy who is going (to take the team forward). It is a high pressure job but he is a terrific player. We wish him all the best," said chief selector Ajit Agarkar after announcing the 18-member squad, which included no major surprises. Explaining Pant's appointment as vice-captain, Agarkar added: "Pant is one of our best batters in Test cricket over the last four-five years. A wicketkeeper can see the game well and that's why he is Shubman's deputy." The squad also features maiden Test call-ups for promising left-hander B Sai Sudharsan and left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh. Get IPL 2025 match schedules , squads , points table , and live scores for CSK , MI , RCB , KKR , SRH , LSG , DC , GT , PBKS , and RR . Check the latest IPL Orange Cap and Purple Cap standings.
India.com
5 days ago
- Sport
- India.com
Main Selector Nahin Hoon: Gautam Gambhir Breaks Silence On Shreyas Iyers Exclusion From Test Squad Against England
IPL 2025: Just a year ago, Shreyas Iyer's cricketing career looked uncertain. He was dropped from the BCCI's central contract list and left out of the national team. Many thought his time at the top was over. But instead of giving up, Iyer went back to domestic cricket and made a strong statement. He led Mumbai to a Ranji Trophy win in the 2023–24 season, added an Irani Cup title, and lifted the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy as well. IPL Glory and International Success Iyer then had a dream season in the Indian Premier League (IPL). As captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he guided the team to their first IPL title in 10 years. This was followed by another big achievement helping India win the ICC Champions Trophy, where he was the top scorer for India and second overall in the tournament. After all this, Iyer took over as captain of Punjab Kings and led them to the top of the IPL table. Left Out of England Tour Despite his incredible year, Iyer was not selected in India's Test squad for the upcoming tour of England. His omission came as a shock to many fans and experts, especially after the retirement of Virat Kohli, and the exit of Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin from Test cricket. With India looking to build a new red-ball team under captain Shubman Gill, Iyer seemed like a perfect fit. But the selectors thought otherwise. Gautam Gambhir Responds At an event in Delhi, former cricketer Gautam Gambhir was asked why Iyer wasn't picked. He replied simply, 'Main selector nahin hoon' (I am not the selector). This was seen by some as a subtle comment on Ajit Agarkar, the BCCI's Chief Selector. Selectors Give Their Reason Ajit Agarkar admitted that Iyer had performed well and praised his efforts. However, he said the decision came down to a 'lack of space' in the squad. Many believe this explanation doesn't do justice to Iyer's recent form and performances. Iyer's Extraordinary Performance Ranji Trophy 2023–24: 480 runs in 5 matches Average: 68.57 Centuries: 2 Champions Trophy: India's top scorer, dominant against short-pitched bowling With these numbers and achievements, fans and experts continue to question his exclusion from the Test squad.
