The year 2025 will be remembered for Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar’s valiant effort to end the star culture and bring about a radical transformation in Indian cricket.
The drubbing Down Under at the beginning of the year meant that there was a need to initiate some tough calls by wielding the axe on an established tradition whereby stars were allowed a long rope whatever the circumstances.
It needed conviction and the two men showed the courage to face the music in times of social media trolling and vicious personal attacks.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s decision to quit Test cricket just before the
England tour triggered a storm which not many envisaged to transpire so quickly. Rohit had looked self-assured barely a fortnight earlier when he told former Australia captain Michael Clarke in a podcast that he was excited to lead a pace attack which included Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammed Shami and Mohammed Siraj in England. But things took a dramatic turn since then.
Three days after Rohit, Kohli made public his announcement after having informed the BCCI and Agarkar of his intentions a fortnight ago. Whether the BCCI had a hand in their retirement will be a matter of introspection, but given Kohli’s fondness for red-ball cricket, it did spark a lot of speculation.
What transpired between the chief selector Agarkar and Rohit or Virat has remained under wraps so far. It would probably be the essence of a bare-all autobiography of both once they decide to hang up their boots.
Gambhir’s utter dislike for starry tantrums and his desire to control a dressing room with a new captain in Shubman Gill had its own merits. The BCCI did try its bit to convince Kohli to reconsider his decision, but the former captain wanted to leave on his own terms. The back-chatting and the intense debate over his future following a long slump were never convincing for him to continue in his favourite format.
Here was a captain who had dictated his choice of Team India coach to the BCCI because of an ‘untenable’ relationship with another stalwart Anil Kumble. It is perceived in several quarters that Gambhir wanted a free run in his dressing room dealings and the presence of seniors was serving as an impediment.
How far Kohli has managed to mend his relationship with Gambhir and Agarkar has been a topic of much deliberation on social media. Their alleged rancour has allegedly spilt beyond the cricket field with the BCCI’s multiple attempts to break the ice failing to make much headway.
Both Rohit and Kohli have consistently been among the runs and their ability to deliver will decide their fate in the 2027 World Cup. Dismal numbers had accentuated their downfall in Test cricket, and unless another prolonged slide sets in, they could go the full distance.
The think-tank has no intentions of offering special privileges and it was best exemplified by the manner in which vice-captain Gill was dropped from the T20 World Cup squad. Selection decisions can be contentious, but to axe a vice-captain, who was being tipped as an all-format captain not long back, can be appalling.
The ghastly manner in which Rohit was removed from the ODI captaincy ahead of the Australian tour once again set off the various conspiracy theories that had been doing the rounds. Barely six months after leading India to a second ICC trophy in less than a year, he was told to step aside. It was utterly humiliating for one of India’s most successful white-ball captains and he deserved the bare minimum respect from the core group.
Still, Rohit has continued with utmost dedication and performance. The dream to be part of an ODI World Cup-winning team has kept the fire in his belly intact.
Ditto for Kohli.
Gambhir fate
Will Gambhir survive his full run? The question has been doing the rounds since India were whitewashed in the Test series against South Africa at home.
This came after a creditable 2-2 series in England where Gill’s extraordinary batting exploits and Mohammed Siraj’s intense skillful spells set up a startling comeback for the young brigade.
But the home defeat which followed has again brought Gambhir’s potential as red-ball coach under scrutiny. Despite the drawbacks, there seems to be no threat to his tenure as of now.
India aren’t playing any big Test series this year except for the two-match assignments
in Sri Lanka and New Zealand. The next big series will be for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home in early 2027.
Gambhir has his supporters in the BCCI who are already projecting the debacle versus South Africa as a learning curve for a young team in transition. Even a failure in the T20 World Cup in February-March will be viewed in the context of an exception and not a catastrophe.