5 major statements made by Gautam Gambhir in press conference post IND vs WI 2025 2nd Test ft. Harshit Rana

Team India extended their dominance over the West Indies by winning the second Test on Day 5 (Tuesday, October 14) at the Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi. After electing to bat, India declared their first-innings total at a massive 518/5, with Yashasvi Jaiswal top-scoring with 175, while skipper Shubman Gill remained unbeaten on 129.

In response, the West Indies struggled, being bowled out for 248, with Kuldeep Yadav taking five wickets for the hosts. India enforced the follow-on, and the West Indies showed great resilience in their second innings, posting 390. John Campbell (115) and Shai Hope (103) impressed with centuries, setting a target of 121 runs for India.

KL Rahul starred in the second innings, remaining unbeaten on 58 as India chased down the target in 35.2 overs, winning by seven wickets and completing a 2-0 series whitewash over the West Indies.

Following the game, head coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the media, discussing the match and the return of veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli for the upcoming ODIs against Australia.

On that note, we highlight five key statements from the head coach following India’s win over the West Indies in the 2025 second Test.

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#1 “I think it is very important to stay in the present” - Gautam Gambhir talks about veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli

During the post-match conference, Gautam Gambhir was asked if Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are part of the plans for the 2027 ODI World Cup. Reacting to the question, the 44-year-old said:

“The 50-over World Cup is still, what, two and a half years away, and I think it is very important to stay in the present. That is something which is very important. Obviously, they are quality players, they're coming back, and their experience is going to be helpful in Australia as well. Hopefully, these two guys will be successful, and more importantly, as a team, we will have a successful series.”

Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will return to action in the three-match ODI series against Australia, scheduled to begin on October 19 in Perth. Meanwhile, Rohit will not be the skipper, with Shubman Gill appointed as the new ODI captain.

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#2 “It's not important how many overs he's bowled” - Gautam Gambhir on Nitish Kumar Reddy

Gautam Gambhir was also asked about seam-bowling all-rounder Nitish Kumar Reddy and his usage in the Delhi Test. The 22-year-old scored 43 runs in his only innings but did not bowl a single over in a game where India bowled for almost 200 overs. Explaining the reasoning behind the tactics, Gambhir said:

“Look, for me, I think it's not important how many overs he's bowled. It's important that he's gaining experience, gaining experience at home as well. Sometimes you learn a lot just by playing a game of cricket as well. It's a Test match, and we don't want to use a 23-year-old boy just on tough tours away from home. That's not going to be fair on him if we decide to play him only on overseas tours, be it Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, or England. I think when he's done well overseas, he deserves a go in home conditions as well.”

“And wherever we can get the opportunity to put him in Indian conditions, we'll continue to do that because it's important for us to groom someone like Nitish, because you know that there are not many seam-bowling all-rounders, and we've spoken for decades and decades about seam-bowling all-rounders. So whenever we get that opportunity, we'll keep grooming him. It depends on the captain, it depends on the conditions as well, how many overs he bowls. But again, I think seeing Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Siraj bowling at home will be a great experience for him,” he added.

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#3 “I feel emotional when I leave out any of the guys” - Gautam Gambhir opens up on team selection challenges

India head coach Gautam Gambhir also spoke about the challenges of squad selection, describing the process of leaving players out as emotionally tough. He said:

“First and foremost, you look at talent. You look at work ethics, you look at the characters in that dressing room, especially in red-ball cricket. You look at what they bring to the table, apart from the amount of runs and wickets they get. I think how hungry they are. And if you've got all those attributes, you will definitely have a successful Test career. And more importantly, as a team, we will have a successful run as well. So for me, I think giving them a longer run is very, very important, because as we all know, international cricket is a very insecure environment.”

“Only 15 players can go on to represent the country, and there are so many people waiting for their opportunity. So make sure first you pick the right characters, and then, if you see that, try and give them a longer run so that they themselves should be content and happy that they've got a longer run, rather than just shuffling and changing as well. Sometimes it's difficult as a head coach and team management, where you will sometimes have to leave out players. I don't like using this word, "dropping players," because you don't drop players, you only select players,” he added.

Gambhir continued:

“And more importantly, when you leave out a player, as a head coach, I should be emotional about it rather than just being very ruthless. And I feel emotional when I leave out any of the guys not being part of the playing 11 or not being part of the squad. So for me, I think that is something which is exceptionally important. And these guys have done their bit, especially on an England tour. The kind of work ethics they had shown for me, I think that was a huge take, not only from my coaching point of view, but from this group's point of view as well.”

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#4 “But there has to be carry” - India coach expresses dissatisfaction with Delhi pitch

Gautam Gambhir also voiced his dissatisfaction with the Delhi pitch in the second Test against the West Indies, pointing out the lack of carry for the pacers. He remarked:

“Look, I thought that we could have had a better wicket here. I think, for me, I'm not thinking about… yes, we did get the results on day five, but again, I think there needs to be carry. I think there has to be something for the fast bowlers as well. I know we keep talking about spinners playing an important role, but when you've got probably two quality fast bowlers in your ranks, you still want them to be in the game as well.”

“And it is okay if there's not enough, but there has to be carry. So what we all saw, I thought the carry wasn't there, which was a bit alarming. And I think going forward, we can get better wickets in Test cricket because all of us have the responsibility of keeping Test cricket alive, I think. And first and foremost, the thing to keep Test cricket alive is playing on good surfaces,” he added.

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#5 “Criticise me, I can handle it, but he is a 23-year-old boy” - Gautam Gambhir slams Kris Srikkanth over his comments on Harshit Rana

At the conference, Gautam Gambhir also criticized former cricketer Kris Srikkanth for his remarks on Harshit Rana. Srikkanth had questioned Harshit’s selection for the ODI and T20I squads for the upcoming Australia tour. On his YouTube channel, he had stated:

"Harshit Rana is a permanent because he is Gautam Gambhir's favorite. He is always a certainty and the first name in the team sheet after Shubman Gill. Ask them to give a reason for retaining Harshit Rana. He is just a film cricketer full on antics. There is only one permanent member - Harshit Rana. Nobody knows why he is there in the team. Best is to be like Harshit Rana and be a constant yes-man to Gambhir to be selected.”

Responding to Srikkanth’s comments, Gambhir said:

“Look, it's a little shameful and I will be very honest with you. If you are criticising 23-year-olds to run your YouTube channel, which is unfair. His father is not an ex-chairman, or ex-cricketer or an NRI. He has played cricket on his own merit and he will continue to do so. Targeting individuals is not fair. Target people on their performance, and selectors are there for that job. If you say horrible things about a 23-year-old on social media, what does that do to his mindset?”

“If your kid plays cricket tomorrow, imagine a scenario where he gets abused. He is a 23-year-old kid, and not 33. Criticise me, I can handle it, but he is a 23-year-old boy, so that is something not acceptable. There should be a moral responsibility towards Indian cricket and you should not do these things to help run your YouTube channel. This is not only in Harshit's case, this is for others in future also,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir’s next assignment as head coach is India’s white-ball tour of Australia, starting on October 19 with three ODIs followed by five T20Is.