Gautam Gambhir's Hand In Virat Kohli-Rohit Sharma's Resignation Out

If reports are to be believed, India coach Gautam Gambhir played a huge role in Test retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. For the next ICC World Test Championship, he was eager to have new players on the team.

The two severe blows over the past seven days have shaken the India National Cricket Team. Captain Rohit Sharma was the first to retire from Test cricket, and Virat Kohli did the same on Monday, May 12, ending his Test career.

According to the sources, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's fates were sealed following the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25, which was in line with Gautam Gambhir's wish to have new faces for the upcoming World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. Notably, India suffered a 3-1 loss in that series.

Gautam Gambhir wanted to eliminate star culture in the Indian team; Rohit, Kohli first victims

Both Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the forerunners of Indian cricket, struggled in the series as their runs dried up. Although they received a lot of flak for their subpar play, few at the time thought that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024–25 would be their final appearance in whites.

According to PTI sources, Gautam Gambhir's primary goal was to eradicate star culture from the team. With the departure of Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli, and Rohit Sharma, there aren't many superstars left in the Indian dressing room. The head coach now has complete authority.

It has been reported that Gautam Gambhir may become the first Indian head coach to hold greater authority than the captain. Ajit Agarkar also backed the head coach's choice to include new players in the ICC World Test Championship's upcoming cycle.

England Test series huge for Gautam Gambhir

A BCCI-affiliated insider also discussed Gambhir's choice to include new players, saying he wasn't interested in carrying seniors in the game's longest format.

"The Gautam Gambhir era begins now. He was categorical that during the next WTC cycle, India needed to have fresh faces. Everyone associated with decision-making knew where Gambhir stood in terms of carrying seniors in the longest format. Obviously, his and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar's thoughts aligned,” the PTI report stated.

Shubman Gill to captain India in Tests

According to the rumors, Shubman Gill will now be leading the Test team. Although Jasprit Bumrah's name also surfaced, it is unlikely that the pacer will be assigned a leadership position.

In order to prevent a disaster similar to the New Zealand series and the Border-Gavaskar Trophy match against Australia, Gautam Gambhir urged the BCCI to give him more authority.

In the game's longest format, Gambhir's five-match Test series against England is reportedly going to be a make-or-break series. He would like to lead the club to victory this time around because his coaching in the format has always been questioned.

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