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The highly anticipated Gautam Gambhir era has officially begun, and his first major assignment as Head Coach of the Indian team is the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. Ahead of the team's departure, Gambhir, along with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Chief Selector, Ajit Agarkar, will address the media in a press conference on Monday, July 22, 2024, at 10 AM IST in Mumbai. The event will be broadcast live on JioCinema, providing fans with an opportunity to hear firsthand from the new coaching regime.
A multitude of questions are anticipated to be directed towards Gambhir and Agarkar regarding the player selections made for the upcoming tour. This includes explanations for the bold decision to appoint Suryakumar Yadav as the captain of the T20I side and Shubman Gill as the vice-captain for both white-ball formats. While Rohit Sharma retains his captaincy for the 50-over and Test sides, Bumrah is his deputy in the longest format. The selectors' rationale for these choices, as well as their reasoning behind omitting several notable names from the squad, will be under scrutiny during the press conference.
The press conference will also shed light on the coaching staff appointments. While reports have circulated about potential candidates for the batting and bowling coach roles, including names like Abhishek Nayar and Morne Morkel, the BCCI has yet to make an official announcement. The absence of prominent players like Sanju Samson, Ravindra Jadeja, and Abhishek Sharma from the Sri Lanka tour squads is likely to spark further questions. Additionally, the inclusion of uncapped players like Harshit Rana and Riyan Parag in the ODI squad will be a topic of discussion, with the selectors expected to elaborate on their rationale behind providing these players with maiden call-ups.