Last Updated: June 5, 2026 02:02 PM
Gautam Gambhir made an important announcement. One IPL superstar will play for India. The IND vs AFG Test is coming. He gets another chance in the squad. Gambhir said he was unfairly treated. Only played 4-5 matches. That’s not enough to judge a player. You need more opportunities to prove yourself. He deserves another fair shot honestly.
The Indian coach was really clear. Gautam Gambhir confirms no.3 batsman will be Sai Sudharsan against Afghanistan starting June 6. The match is in Mullanpur. Not part of the World Test Championship. So India can experiment with selections. Sudharsan gets his redemption chance here.
Gambhir said something important to the media. Dropping a player after a few games. That hinders team development completely. Players need time to settle down. 4-5 games are too short, and International cricket requires patience basically. With young batting talents coming up.
“Sai Sudharsan has not got a fair chance. He played mostly in England and I believe he needs to get a fair chance,” Gambhir told the reporters.
“We can (only) pick 11 (players) and Sai isn’t in bad form. He scored 700 runs in IPL. If we judge Sai on basis of 4-5 games we will never be able to build something,” he added.
Sai Sudharsan’s Recent Form and Selection
The IPL 2026 season was good for Sai. He played well alongside Shubman Gill for his franchise. So his confidence level is high. Now getting a Test cricket chance again. This could be his breakthrough moment. Against Afghanistan he should perform well.
Devdutt Padikkal was competing for the spot. But Gambhir prefers Sudharsan for Test cricket. The Afghanistan Test XI needs Sudharsan. He gets selected for this match.
Finally getting a fair opportunity in cricket. His career needs this chance. Playing at the one-down position suits him. Gautam Gambhir confirms no.3 batsman choice clearly.
Other Selection and Strategic Decisions
The IND vs AFG Test matters for spinners. Four spinners are being prepared for Sri Lanka. Manav Suthar is one option and Harsh Dubey is another contender. One of them will get selected.
This Afghanistan match helps decide things. India is testing different bowling combinations. The squad needs experimenting sometimes.
Rishabh Pant lost his vice-captaincy. Gambhir had a long chat with him. About respecting match situations better. International cricket needs discipline and control.
Pant has full backing from the coach. But he needs to improve his attitude. Conduct himself as a senior player. That’s what Gambhir emphasized to him.
Gambhir mentioned the New Zealand tour plans. Some ODI regulars might join the Test team. Different preparations are needed for that series. The Afghanistan series helps build momentum before the bigger Test series arriving soon.
India wants to improve their ranking. Currently sitting at 6th position basically and the journey back needs consistency.
