‘Take a break but...': Gautam Gambhir’s stern message to India players in first dressing room speech

India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, shared some words of caution during his first on-camera speech in the Indian dressing room. He kicked off his coaching career with a bang, leading the team to a 3-0 clean sweep in the T20I series against Sri Lanka. This series marked India's first under Coach Gambhir and new captain Suryakumar Yadav, signaling a new era for the team in the shortest format of the game.

The first two T20Is were won by India with ease, despite some pressure from Sri Lanka's top-order batsmen. The Indian spinners were the heroes, consistently triggering collapses in the Sri Lankan batting lineup. However, it was the third match in Pallekele that truly showcased Team India's resilience.

In a challenging chase of 138 runs, Sri Lanka seemed to be cruising at 110/1 in 15 overs. But the Indian spinners fought back, putting pressure on the Sri Lankan batsmen. Even though Sri Lanka remained in the lead, thanks to Kusal Perera, the game took a dramatic turn. With just 9 runs needed off 12 balls and six wickets in hand, the hosts were in a strong position.

That's when Surya made a bold move by handing the ball to Rinku Singh, who was bowling in international cricket for the first time. Rinku delivered an outstanding performance, conceding only three runs and taking two crucial wickets, including that of Perera.

"Guys, congratulations on a great series win. Congratulations to Surya as well, outstanding captaincy and with the bat as well. I asked for something before the start of the game and you absolutely delivered it. "This is what happens when you keep fighting, (and when) you don't give up," Gambhir told the team in a dressing room chat shared by BCCI on 'X'.

"These kind of games happen and the only way these key games can happen (in favour) is when we keep fighting on every delivery and for every run and this was the example."

Gambhir encouraged the team to continue working together to improve on playing on turning tracks, which present a unique challenge for the batting group.

Head Coach Gautam Gambhir  Hardik Pandya address the dressing room as the action now shifts to the ODIs in Colombo #TeamIndia | #SLvIND | @GautamGambhir | @hardikpandya7 pic.twitter.com/PFrTEVzdvd

— BCCI (@BCCI) July 31, 2024

"We keep getting better, we keep improving our skills as well because we still need to get better on playing on wickets like these, because we might end up getting these kind of wickets (in future).

"So we should first assess the situation and conditions really quickly and what is the par score as well," he said.

Gambhir encouraged players not involved in the upcoming three-match ODI series to take advantage of their break, but also to stay focused on maintaining their fitness for the upcoming home Test series against Bangladesh and New Zealand.

"Some of the guys will not be a part of the 50-overs format will have a longer break, so make sure when you come back for the Bangladesh series...you can take a break. You absolutely deserve it, but more importantly, keep your skills and especially the fitness levels high."

"You don't want to come for that series thinking that 'okay, I can just turn up, probably deliver for the team'. So make sure that from the fitness point of view, the fitness levels are right up there," he said.

It is important to note that Hardik Pandya will not be included in the ODI squad as he has requested a break from the 50-over format for personal reasons. While Gautam Gambhir did not specifically mention any names, the BCCI has clarified that Hardik will only be eligible for selection in the ODIs once he demonstrates his fitness in domestic cricket.

Also read| Meet athlete who clinched an astounding 28 Olympic medals while grappling with anxiety and ADHD