Reports: Gautam Gambhir concludes meeting with Ajit Agarkar ahead of SL tour, captaincy debate delays team announcement

The newly appointed head coach of the Indian team, Gautam Gambhir, has finished his first meeting with Ajit Agarkar and his selection committee for the squad announcement ahead of India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. Gambhir will be succeeding Rahul Dravid’s stint as coach, after the latter helped India win the 2024 T20 World Cup.

Gambhir parted ways with Kolkata Knight Riders after just one season; he was appointed as the franchise’s mentor in the IPL (Indian Premier League) 2024, and managed to lead them to a brilliant title win. Ahead of his first series, a meeting was held with the national selection committee, where the ODI and T20I squads for the Sri Lanka series were deliberated upon.

As per reports, the meeting was productive and lasted for over 60 minutes. According to Cricbuzz, the BCCI organised the meeting on Tuesday, July 16. The meeting featured members of the selection committee, head coach Gambhir, and BCCI secretary Jay Shah. Gambhir also highlighted his vision for the side in the meeting. 

Shreyas Iyer, KL Rahul expected to return

It is worth noting that Rohit Sharma is expected to be unavailable for the ODI series against Sri Lanka. If he is available, he will lead India in the series. But if he is unavailable, KL Rahul could lead the Men in Blue. Furthermore, Shreyas Iyer is also tipped to make his return to the ODI setup.

Furthermore, the BCCI is yet to decide on a T20I skipper for India. Hardik Pandya served as a deputy for Rohit Sharma in the shortest format. Furthermore, Suryakumar is another contender to lead the side in T20Is.

The reports suggested that Hardik Pandya could be rested for the ODI games against Sri Lanka. The tour is all set to begin from July 27 to August 7, and there is yet to be a decision made on the leadership post in the shortest format.