‘We are without our three most experienced players…’: Gautam Gambhir’s pep talk to team India ahead of crucial England series

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir set clear expectations for the Shubman Gill-led side as they prepare for the five-match Test series against England. With stalwarts like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin having retired from the Test format, the Indian team faces a significant challenge ahead.

England has been a tough venue for teams from the subcontinent, and this time, the challenges are even greater. However, Gambhir urges the young Indian squad to concentrate on the opportunity ahead rather than dwell on the absence of senior players.

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In a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India, Gautam Gambhir was seen giving a pep talk to the team and he said, “There are two ways of looking at this. One is that we are without are three most experienced players (Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravichandran Ashwin), or we have a phenomenal opportunity to do something special for the country. When I look around this group, I think there’s hunger, passion, and the commitment to do something special.” Gambhir said in a huddle

“If we make sacrifices, if we come out of our comfort zones, if we start fighting, not every day, but every session, every hour, every ball, I think we can have a memorable tour. Make sure we start that from today only. We start enjoying playing for the country because there’s no bigger honour,” Gambhir added

While Ravichandran Ashwin announced his retirement during India’s tour of Australia, Rohit retired on May 7 and Kohli on May 12 before the England tour. Team India’s intra-squad match will start from June 13. For this match, Gambhir has asked the pitch curator to prepare a supporting wicket.