Gautam Gambhir And Ajit Agarkar Spotted Having A Serious Talk On Sidelines Of India’s Training Session | Cricket News

Last Updated:October 28, 2025, 00:03 IST

Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar oversee India’s T20I prep in Canberra as Suryakumar Yadav leads a fearless squad against Australia, aiming to build on past successes.

India coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar (PTI)

India head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar engaged in a conversation on the sidelines while overseeing the players during an intense training session before the first T20I against Australia in Canberra on Wednesday.

Players participated in fielding drills, including catching practice, before the Indian batters hit the nets. In-form Abhishek Sharma fine-tuned his technique with straight drives, cuts, and down-the-track shots before the five-match series opener. India T20I captain Suryakumar Yadav then hit the nets, focusing on timing his shots before facing Australia’s formidable pace attack.

This is the first time the T20 world champions and Australia will face each other in the shortest format of cricket since their Super 8 match in last year’s T20 World Cup. Former captain Rohit Sharma left Australia stunned with a rollicking 92 off 41 balls, leading India to a comfortable 24-run win.

Overall, the two cricket powerhouses have faced each other 32 times in T20Is, with India emerging victorious 20 times and Australia winning 11. Unlike previous instances, Suryakumar Yadav will lead India, with Rohit retiring from the format after India lifted the T20 World Cup title in Barbados in 2024.

Praise For SKY

Under Suryakumar’s leadership, India has won 18 out of 22 matches, with two ending in defeat. India head coach Gautam Gambhir praised the 34-year-old, noting the positive atmosphere he has created through his charismatic personality.

“Surya is a great human being, and good humans make good leaders. While he speaks highly of me, my role is simply to advise him fairly based on my reading of the game. Ultimately, this is his team. His free-spirited character perfectly matches T20 cricket’s essence, it’s about freedom and expression,” Gambhir said on JioHotstar.

“Your off-field personality reflects on the field and in the dressing room, and Surya has maintained this atmosphere brilliantly over the past 1.5 years. From our first conversation, we agreed: we will not fear losing,” the Indian head coach added.

Gambhir isn’t focused on becoming the “most successful coach” but wants to make India the most “fearless team.” He revealed the message he gave to players before India triumphed over arch-rival Pakistan in the Asia Cup final.

“I don’t aim to be the most successful coach; I want us to be the most fearless team. In big games like the Asia Cup final, I told the players it’s okay to drop a catch, play a bad shot, or bowl a poor delivery. Human beings make mistakes. Only the opinions of those in the dressing room matter. Surya and I consistently agree: we will never fear mistakes,” Gambhir said.

“The bigger the game, the more fearless and aggressive we must be. A conservative approach only gives the opposition an advantage. With the talent we have, if we play fearlessly, we will be fine,” Gambhir concluded.

(With inputs from ANI)

Ritayan Basu

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin…Read More

Ritayan Basu, Senior Sub-Editor, Sports at News18.com. Has been covering domestic and and international football for nearly a decade. Has played and covered badminton. Ocassionally writes cricket content, havin… Read More

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