'Toughest conversations': Gautam Gambhir breaks silence on dropping Arshdeep Singh, Kuldeep Yadav

The move to rest Arshdeep Singh, India’s leading T20I wicket-taker, for the first two matches to accommodate Harshit Rana drew widespread criticism. Arshdeep made a strong comeback later in the series, picking up three wickets in the third T20I and following it with 1/22 in the fourth match.

Gautam Gambhir has opened up about the recent debate over his decision to bench key players Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav during the T20I series against Australia. (AFP Photo)

NEW DELHI: India head coach Gautam Gambhir has opened up about the recent debate over his decision to bench key players Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav during the T20I series against Australia. In a video interview with the BCCI, Gambhir discussed the challenges of balancing team combinations, managing expectations, and ensuring transparent communication — especially when in-form players are left out of the playing XI.

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The move to rest Arshdeep Singh, India’s leading T20I wicket-taker, for the first two matches to accommodate Harshit Rana drew widespread criticism. Arshdeep made a strong comeback later in the series, picking up three wickets in the third T20I and following it with 1/22 in the fourth match.

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Acknowledging the difficulty of such calls, Gambhir said that having to leave out deserving players is one of the toughest parts of his job. “That is the toughest part for me as a coach, and that is the toughest job I have. Sometimes, when I know there is so much quality sitting on the bench, and I know everyone deserves to be part of the playing XI, but ultimately, you can only pick 11, thinking about what is the best combination to do the job on that particular day,” Gambhir said. He further emphasised the importance of open dialogue and honesty within the team. “But for me, the most important thing is the conversation and the communication as well. The communication needs to be very clear, very honest. Sometimes, obviously, those are tough conversations to have. If you tell someone that he is not playing, it is probably the toughest conversation for both the coach and the player, because I know the player would be upset when he deserves to be part of the playing XI,” he added. Gambhir also highlighted the positive, transparent environment within the Indian dressing room, insisting that discussions between players and coaches must remain private. “But if you are honest, if you are straightforward, if you know that what you are saying comes from the heart and there is nothing beyond that, some players do understand. And it's a communication between a player and the coach, and I think it should stay there, rather than people making a lot of outcry and different theories about it. And that is something this group and the support staff have done brilliantly, because it has been a very transparent dressing room, an honest dressing room, and that is exactly how we want it to be,” Gambhir concluded.

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