The 2025 ICC Champions Trophy commenced positively for India, with a win against Bangladesh despite concerns over veteran players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s performances. Rohit scored 41 runs while Kohli managed only 22. Former coach Anil Kumble emphasized the importance of transitioning from legacy players, urging current coach Gautam Gambhir to make pivotal decisions during the tournament. Kumble highlighted the necessity of building a cohesive squad for future competitions, especially the 2027 World Cup. He advocated for integrating young talent to develop a strong team for white-ball cricket. Gambhir has a substantial pool of players to work with moving forward.
The ICC Champions Trophy 2025 kicked off positively for the Indian team, marking a decisive win against Bangladesh in the opening match on Thursday. Captain Rohit Sharma and opening batsman Shubman Gill provided a strong start, although No. 3 batsman Virat Kohli struggled to find his rhythm. Kohli and Rohit’s inconsistent performances have raised concerns for the team management for some time. While the captain managed to score 41 runs off 36 balls, Virat could only muster 22 runs from 38 deliveries. Even with India’s victory, former coach Anil Kumble conveyed a clear message to current head coach Gautam Gambhir regarding the need to transition away from ‘legacy players’.
Kumble, who has experience in Gambhir’s role, believes it is the coach’s duty to make ‘difficult decisions’ as the team shifts from seasoned players to newer talent.
“This is a crucial tournament for a coach who must make those difficult decisions regarding the transition from legacy players to newer ones. It’s the coach’s role to make those tough calls,” he stated on ESPNCricinfo.
“This tournament could influence the future roles of senior players and guide India in making adjustments. Regardless of the outcome, these tough decisions should be made promptly. It’s essential to start preparing for the 2027 World Cup in white-ball cricket,” Kumble emphasized.
Although India has a long journey ahead towards the 2027 ODI World Cup, the Champions Trophy will be the team’s last major event in the 50-over format. Kumble believes discussions regarding certain players’ futures should commence after the conclusion of the Champions Trophy.
“In any World Cup, you aim to build a squad that has collectively played at least 20 to 25 matches. This experience allows you to grasp the intricacies of match situations and to identify reliable players. Ideally, by the end of this tournament, the focus should shift to the next World Cup. Will the seniors be part of that, or should we create opportunities for youngsters to propel the team forward in the shorter formats and establish a robust unit? These are the questions Gambhir needs to tackle,” he remarked.
“He has a young and vibrant team, with a wealth of players to select from, so he should begin to prepare for the 2027 World Cup in a natural progression. He has done well in T20Is, and Suryakumar Yadav has been an impressive captain. With two years until the next World Cup, the new cohort requires a consistent run of games to build chemistry, understand batting orders, match contexts, and tactical approaches,” he added.
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