Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir finally broke his silence on wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant being replaced by KL Rahul as the Test vice-captain. When the squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan was announced, fans were shocked to find Pant being demoted and losing the job of being Shubman Gill’s deputy. The former Indian opening batter kept his cards close to his chest but made a sweeping statement, saying the experienced batter should respect match situations.
India’s last Test series against South Africa saw the hosts being blanked 0-2 by the Proteas, and Pant’s performance came under fire. The aggressive left-handed batter suffered a rush of blood in the second Test in Guwahati, throwing his wicket away, much to the displeasure of everyone involved.
Pant, who had a below-par Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 season for the Lucknow Super Giants, then lost his Test vice-captaincy, leading to a lot of speculation. However, on Friday, ahead of the Test against Afghanistan, Gambhir said that the team management doesn’t want Pant to change, but international players are required to play according to the situation.
“See, responsibility is only for playing for India. The rest of everything else is a by-product. When you start playing for India, you don’t think about being a vice- captain. You think about doing good for India. So going from one to the other is only a by-product. And ultimately, everyone is judged on performance. Be it me, be it the support staff, be it any player. Ultimately, that is what international cricket is all about. And as far as Rishabh is concerned, we will expect him to be the way he is,” Gambhir told reporters in the post-match press conference.
“It’s not like we will tell him that you have to curb your game. But in international cricket, it is very important to play the situation. It is important to read the situation. At that time, what kind of situation the team is in, what kind of situation it demands and what kind of shot to play. But it’s not like any player has been told to play a completely different game than their natural game. Be it test cricket, one-day cricket, or T20 cricket. The ultimate aim is to make a run and take a wicket. You can never lose that. No matter how you make it, it’s up to you,” he added.
But reading the situation and reading the game is very important. Is there a temptation to try or fail this test match? Whenever his time comes, we will give him a fair run as well. It is not about giving someone five test matches and someone else one test match.
‘No complaints from Rishabh’
On Thursday, Team India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate also said there have been no complaints from Rishabh about losing the Test vice-captaincy, and that the wicketkeeper has had honest conversations with Gambhir.
He also added that the team management would really like it if Pant were to adapt to match situations more and play accordingly.
“I don’t think you need a formal title to be a leader in a lead set-up like this. I think Rishabh understands that, and I think he’s committed to being a good role model and a senior player,” the former Netherlands all-rounder told reporters.
“With Rishabh’s brilliance, we don’t want to take away all the stuff that he does. Occasionally, if he can adjust his game to play the situation slightly more, I think that’s something you’ll see him work on. But he’s been in great spirits again. He’s one of those guys who’s happy and cheerful and drives the spirit in the team. We’ve got no complaints from him. You wouldn’t even notice that his role in the leadership structure has changed. So, no concerns about Rishabh, and I can’t wait to see him back again,” he added.
