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Karun Nair revealed what the message was from head coach Gautam Gambhir’s aheqad of India’s tour of England.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir (AP Photo)
As Shubman Gill’s India travelled to England for a five-Test series, the spotlight was on a team in transition. With Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli recently retired, questions arose about whether the young side could handle the challenge.
Former cricketers voiced doubts, but Gill’s men silenced them by matching Bazball-powered England blow for blow, securing a 2-2 draw. Days after the thrilling win at The Oval, Karun Nair revealed head coach Gautam Gambhir’s pivotal message in the dressing room.
“Right at the very beginning, Gauti [Gautam Gambhir] bhai said, he doesn’t want us to look at it as a team in transition,” Karun Nair was quoted as saying to ESPNCricinfo.
“He didn’t want us to feel that way. The first message we got was ‘this isn’t a young team, this is a gun team and everyone must feel it from within’. The messaging within the group was that everyone plays for the team and supports each other. It’s one thing for the coach or the captain to say it, but to feel it was amazing,” he added.
What Did Nair Say About Gill?
Nair’s personal form was modest — 205 runs from eight innings at an average of 25.62, with one fifty — but he was quick to praise Gill’s leadership.
“The way Shubman held everyone together and the encouragement he gave was great to see. He was crystal clear with his communication from the beginning. To achieve what he did as a batter, while also leading the team…as a leader, he exemplified the spirit of Gauti bhai,” Karun Nair said.
India’s next Test series, at home against West Indies, begins on October 6 in Ahmedabad, followed by the second Test in Delhi on October 10. Nair, recovering from a finger injury that ruled him out of the 2025 Duleep Trophy and part of the Maharaja Trophy T20, faces a race against time to prove his fitness and retain his spot.
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses, features, live scores, results, stats and everything that’s cricket from all over the globe. Follow @cricketnext
A team of reporters, writers and editors brings you news, analyses, features, live scores, results, stats and everything that’s cricket from all over the globe. Follow @cricketnext
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