Sunil Gavaskar DISAGREES With Gautam Gambhir; Criticizes Rohit Sharma Ahead Of Champions Trophy 2025 Final

Sunil Gavaskar DISAGREES With Gautam Gambhir; Criticizes Rohit Sharma Ahead Of Champions Trophy 2025 Final Photo : AP/PTI

India have had a terrific run in the Champions Trophy 2025 so far, as they have qualified for the final where they will face New Zealand at the Dubai International Stadium on March 9 (Sunday). While most of the players have performed in one match or another in the Champions Trophy, captain Rohit Sharma has not been in great form with the bat. He has made some quick starts but has not been able to convert them into big scores. In the press conference after the semi-final vs Australia, head coach Gautam Gambhir said that it was Rohit's intent to go big that creates an 'impact' in the team. Legendary India batter Sunil Gavaskar disagreed with Gambhir and has criticized Rohit.

In an interaction with India Today, Sunil Gavaskar said that Rohit Sharma's talent warrants that he bats for at least 25 overs. If he does so, India could reach 350+ in their 50 overs. This would create a match-winning impact.

"(If) He (Rohit Sharma) bats for even 25 overs, India will be around 180-200. Imagine if they have lost only a couple of wickets by then; just think what they could do. They could reach 350 or more," Gavaskar said.

"He also needs to give it some thought. It's one thing to go out and play aggressively, but there has to be a bit of discretion somewhere to give himself the chance to bat for 25-30 overs. If he does that, he takes the game away from the opposition. That kind of impact is match-winning. And I think, as a batter, are you happy with scoring 25-30 runs? You shouldn't be! So that is what I would say to him: your impact on the team will be even greater if you bat for 25 overs instead of just seven, eight, or nine overs," the legendary batter added.

What Gambhir Said On Rohit Sharma's Batting Approach

In the press conference after India's semi-final win vs Australia, Gautam Gambhir said that if a team's captain bats at such a high tempo, then it sends a very good signal to the dressing to play fearless cricket. He might not score runs, but he creates an impact.

"If your captain bats with such a tempo, it gives a very good signal to the dressing room that we want to be absolutely fearless and courageous. You evaluate with runs, we evaluate with impact. That's the difference. You evaluate with stats, we evaluate with impact. As journalists and experts, you see numbers and averages. But as a coach and as a team, we don't see numbers and averages," the India head coach said.

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