The former cricketer had contrasting ideas to that of Gautam Gambhir.
The Indian team suffered their first loss in the ongoing tour of Sri Lanka last night (August 4), after suffering a disappointing loss in the second ODI of the three-match series.
After registering a 3-0 whitewash in the T20I leg, the India team saw the return of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli back into the squad.
However, the addition of the marquee players didn’t change much in the way of results as the first ODI game ended in a draw and then the Men in Blue lost the second match.
Echoing on the same line, former India pacer Ashish Nehra opined that Gambhir missed an opportunity to test new talent.
He further stated that veterans like Rohit and Kohli could have been given an extended rest period after a hectic T20 World Cup 2024 and the duo could have return when the home season began from next month.
Gambhir’s choice to include the two India stars appears to be influenced by their recent retirement from T20Is and the limited number of ODI matches leading up to the 2025 Champions Trophy. This series offers important match practice for seasoned players in the 50-over format.
Nehra said on Sony Sports Network, “The next series India play is 2-3 months later, a rare thing for us. So for players like Rohit and Kohli…I feel there was a better chance of giving opportunities to other players during this series.”
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Nehra added, “He is not a foreign coach who wants to get his equation right with Kohli and Rohit. So it was a good opportunity for him to try out the new players, and Rohit and Kohli could play when the home season begins. I’m not saying it is a wrong approach, but it could have been one of the strategies in this series.”
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