The ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka held significant importance for the Indian cricket team, marking the first assignments under new head coach Gautam Gambhir. With Rahul Dravid’s tenure concluding after the T20 World Cup 2024 victory, Gambhir was swiftly appointed as his successor. His initial squad selection featured some new faces, yet the ODI team retained seasoned players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Although the Sri Lanka tour was viewed as an opportunity to experiment with young talents, Gambhir chose to include the experienced duo. Former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra questioned this decision.
In a discussion on Sony Sports following India’s loss to Sri Lanka in the second ODI, Nehra suggested that it was an ideal chance to give young players opportunities. He felt that Kohli and Rohit’s presence was not essential for this series.
Nehra pointed out that the next series for India is 2-3 months away, which is unusual for the team. Given this, he suggested it might have been better to give opportunities to other players during the current series. Nehra acknowledged that Gambhir, as a new coach, wants to work with experienced players, but he is already familiar with them. He noted that Gambhir is not an overseas coach needing to build relationships with Kohli and Rohit.
Nehra believed this series presented a good chance to try out new players, with Kohli and Rohit set to return for the home season. While he didn’t view the current approach as entirely wrong, he thought experimenting with new talent could have been a viable strategy for this series.