Gambhir's 1st Meet With Selectors: Report Says, "Robust Exchange Of..."

Gautam Gambhir, the Indian cricket team head coach, held his first meeting with BCCI selectors on Tuesday afternoon, according to a report in Cricbuzz. The meeting was convened by BCCI secretary Jay Shah and included Ajit Agarkar-led BCCI selectors too. The meeting was held online and Gambhir joined via a video call from his home in New Delhi. The report claimed that it was a 'positive meeting' and added that there was a 'robust exchange' of ideas. 

The report claimed that Gambhir gave his inputs for the team for the upcoming limited overs tour of Sri Lanka. The report claimed that the 'overarching theme' of the meeting was 'strong commitment'.

Meanwhile, according to a report in news agency PTI, there is a strong possibility of Suryakumar Yadav becoming Indian cricket team captain in the T20Is ahead of Hardik Pandya. 

Pandya made himself available for the shortest format games against Sri Lanka this month but it has emerged that Suryakumar, who captained India in eight T20Is against Australia and South Africa last year, is the preferred choice of new head coach Gautam Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar.

It is learnt that both Gambhir and Agarkar spoke to Pandya about this change of plan earlier this evening and explained to him that a long-term option was being finalised to ensure stability.

The T20 leadership role fell vacant after Rohit Sharma bid adieu to his international career in the shortest format following India's World Cup triumph last month in the West Indies.

Pandya, one of the heroes of that victory, will take a break during the three-match ODI series against the island nation due to "personal reasons". The T20Is against Sri Lanka will run from July 27 to 30 in Pallekele, followed by the ODIs from August 2 to 7 in Colombo.

The squad for the series is expected to be announced in the next couple of days.

"Hardik Pandya was India's T2O vice-captain under Rohit Sharma. He is completely fit and available for the three-match T20I series and was supposed to lead the side but there is a very strong feeling that SKY would be the potential leader not only for the Sri Lanka series but till the 2026 World Cup," a senior BCCI source told PTI on conditions of anonymity.

With PTI inputs