Ashish Nehra recently voiced his concerns over Gautam Gambhir’s choice to play senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli in the current ODI series against Sri Lanka. He felt this was a missed opportunity to give younger players a chance, especially after a busy season that included IPL 2024 and the T20 World Cup.
India is trailing 0-1 in the three-match series. Nehra noted that with a break before the next series, it would have been better to rest veterans like Rohit and Kohli. “For players like Rohit and Kohli, I feel there was a better chance of giving opportunities to other players during this series,” Nehra commented on Sony Sports Network.
Nehra emphasized that Gambhir, being familiar with Rohit and Kohli, didn’t need to establish a rapport with them. “He is not a foreign coach who wants to get his equation right with Kohli and Rohit,” Nehra said. “So it was a good opportunity for him to try out the new players.”
Despite the criticism, Gambhir’s decision aims to provide important match practice for Rohit and Kohli before the 2025 Champions Trophy, given their recent T20I retirements. Rohit has been in good form, while Kohli has struggled. The third and deciding match of the series is set for August 7.
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