The 2017 Champions Trophy in England is knocking on the door and is scheduled to commence just after the Indian Premier League. While most teams announced their squads well in advance, the Indian team management tussled through a rough patch that included the dilemma of taking part in this cricketing extravaganza.
However, after a political storm and the BCCI announced their squad after eventually deciding to participate in the prestigious tournament. Quite understandably, everyone waited in anticipation of the selection, which came earlier yesterday under chief selector MSK Prasad.
Surprises were thrown up, but the biggest surprise came when Gautam Gambhir couldn’t quite find a place in the 15-man squad, despite racking up runs at a fair clip at various events in the domestic scene. The selection also is perceived to be bewildering for the fact he is currently featuring among the top five run-getters in the IPL this season.
At the age of 35, there’s no dearth of enthusiasm and commitment from the left-handed batsman from Delhi. He has been in sublime form in the recent past and has also shown tremendous athletic skills in addition to his charged up attitude on the field.
Also read: MSK Prasad reveals why Pant and Kuldeep weren't picked, defends Dhoni's selection
Fans from various nook and corner of the country have made their feeling clear about wanting their World Cup winning hero in Indian colours and during several games in the IPL, banners displaying ‘Bring Back Gauti’ were put up by his supporters. Thus, it’s understandable why Twitter went berserk for the Indian team management not preferring Gambhir for the ODI tournament.
A people’s person
There has also been an online campaign named #BringBackGG – launched by his fans in April after his impeccable display of batsmanship in this season’s IPL. He hasn’t only led his side with sheer class and flair, but also led from the front by taking a chunk of the responsibility on his shoulders as a batsman.
They say that hard work and dedication towards work brings success, but after a certain point of time, the zeal and energy level seem to take a backseat. Full marks to Gambhir that even after not getting chosen to don the national colours, he hasn’t bowed down to the challenges.
Needless to say that Gambhir has been a strident factor why India has bagged the 2007 World T20 and the 2011 World Cup. Both times India were in a spot of bother and Gambhir rescued them with two of the gutsiest knocks an India has played in the final of a major tournament.
The short-lived joy
The batsman’s selection in the recent Test series versus England sparked hopes of a stupendous comeback but soon faded away as he was replaced by batsmen returning from injury. It was pretty harsh on Gambhir not to get a fair run on his comeback spree.
Though it’s inevitable that established players will eventually get the nod, the class, calibre and experience of a veteran can’t simply be overlooked. Gambhir doesn’t even feature in the list of standby players for the Champions Trophy that may be required, provided injuries to the main squad.
The selected squad is a debatable one and the cricketing fraternity has shown dissatisfaction over the selection of a few players and obviously their preference over Gautam Gambhir. The Kolkata Knight Riders skippers, however, has remained classy throughout and in a recent interview had said that IPL performances shouldn’t be a criterion for One Day comebacks. And one can only hope that BCCI is classy enough to give Gambhir his long due after a number of sterling performances in the domestic scene.
Also read: Reports: MS Dhoni behind the decision to name five standbys for ICC Champions Trophy 2017
The players he could have replaced
Shikhar Dhawan has struggled to find his feet, playing for India and has looked out of not all that convincing with the willow in the ongoing IPL. Gambhir, on the contrary, has been in sublime touch across every domestic tournament and even technically Gauti has been way more compact than Dhawan.
Rahane’s game, on the other hand, is pure class. However, he has neither been in fluent touch in the IPL nor has he been consistent enough for India in coloured clothing. Gambhir could easily have been slotted in his position, allowing Rahane time to revamp his game and come back with a more resolute approach.
There are several permutations and combinations that can be eked out to justify his inclusion. The selectors might have their own reasons for not selecting Gambhir, but when one looks at Gambhir, it’s a no-brainer that Indian cricket is missing out on something very special.
A career far from being over
The likes of Misbah-ul-Haq, Younis Khan, Sachin Tendulkar and Brad Hogg have proven time and again that age is hardly a factor in cricket if one’s willing to keep themselves in line with the rigours and the dynamics of the sport. Gambhir, even in his mid-30s has quite a few years of cricket left in him and is yet to run out of gas.
All we can hope is that Gambhir somehow revives his international career and it’s not out of his radar by any stretch of the imagination. The skipper of the two-time IPL champion team is too astute to let go his ambition of storming back into the Indian setup. Fans need him, India needs him and most importantly, cricket needs him.
