"That is the toughest job I have" - Gautam Gambhir addresses criticism of not playing two key players in ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke about the controversial omissions of Arshdeep Singh and Kuldeep Yadav across formats, and especially during the 2025 Aderson-Tendulkar Trophy in England. The pair had to settle for a place on the bench the entire series, and their struggle for game time in a competitive environment continues.

Arshdeep Singh was not in Team India's first-choice playing XI for the 2025 Asia Cup or the T20I series against Australia. Kuldeep Yadav, on the other hand, had to sit out the first two ODIs against Australia as the team management opted for a different combination focused on all-rounders and batting depth.

Their non-inclusions have often sparked outrage on social media, and a constant debate among pundits as well. Gautam Gambhir cleared the air, assuring that the communication with the players on the sidelines are crystal clear, and there is no feeling of unjust or unrest.

"That is probably the toughest part of me as a coach. I think that is the toughest job I have. When I know there is so much so much of quality sitting on the bench, and everyone deserves to be part of the playing XI, but ultimately you can pick only XI, thinking which is the best combination to do the job on that particular day," Gambhir said in an interview with the BCCI. "The most important for me, is the conversation and the commnunication. The communication needs to be very clear, very honest. Sometimes those are hard conversations to have. If you tell someone that he is not playing, it is probably the toughest conversation for a coach, and a player as well. Because I know that the player would get upset, when he deserves to be part of the playing XI. But, if you are honest and straightforward, if you know that what you are saying is from the heart, and there is nothing beyond that, some players do understand that. It is a communication between a player and a coach, and I think it should stay till there (only), rather than people making a lot of outcry and different theories about it," Gambhir elaborated.

Apart from selection headaches, another major challenge that India have to deal with is the workload of all-format players. Since the Asia Cup, the Men in Blue have been playing almost constant cricket across all three formats, and the schedule only gets more gruelling. Less than a week after the culmination of the Australian tour, Shubman Gill is set to lead the team in the first Test against South Africa, from November 14 onwards.

Gambhir admitted that the possibility of burnout is unfortunately realistic, but remarked that the team management are aware of the possibility, and will take the necessary measures to avoid it.

"The guys who are playing all three formats, we have got to be very smart in how we use them, because there should not be a burnout. For example, someone like a Kuldeep or Bumrah, or a Shubman, Washi, or Axar, all these guys are playing all three formats. So, we need to be very smart in how much we want to use them. Switching formats is tough, imagine now in four days' time we have a Test match starting at 9 in the morning, facing Rabada or Jansen after an Australia tour,"

Critics have already started to establish workload, burnout, and additional captaincy responsibility, being a factors behind Shubman Gill's drop in form. The ace batter has played non-stop cricket since the IPL 2025 campaign, which includes the England tour, the Asia Cup, home series against West Indies, and the Australia tour.

"I have never been a part of a series which was this exciting" - Gautam Gambhir on ENG vs IND 2025 Tests

After the disappointing end for India in the 2023-25 World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, the red-ball team underwent a drastic change with senior figures like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravichandran Ashwin stepping away.

Gautam Gambhir had a massive task on his hand to guide a new captain in Shubman Gill, and a relatively young squad against a well-honed England team in alien conditions.

"I have never been a part of a series which was this exciting. I think five Test matches are always tough, and I've never been, as a player, been part of a five-match Test series. As a coach I've been part of two now, and England is always a tough place to tour with a young side, young captain," Gambhir concluded.

The new-look Team India were able to mount a serious challenge, walking away with a 2-2 series result to kick-start the new cycle on an optimistic note.

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Edited by Gokul Nair