'They are his product': Gautam Gambhir's childhood coach wants him to bring back two key players

India's squad is set for a fresh look in the white-ball series against Sri Lanka later this month, marking the beginning of the Gautam Gambhir era. Replacing the legendary Rahul Dravid as head coach of the Indian cricket team, Gambhir has taken over after an impressive campaign at the ICC T20 World Cup 2024. India ended their 11-year ICC trophy-winning drought by defeating South Africa in the final. 

Veteran cricketers Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja bid adieu to the shortest format of the game after winning the T20 World Cup in Barbados. Rahul Dravid also stepped down as the head coach, paving the way for Gautam Gambhir. 

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Gambhir's coach wants him to bring back pacer Saini

Gautam Gambhir's childhood coach, Sanjay Bharadwaj, shared insights into Gambhir's potential selections. "He could pick players like Kuldeep Yadav and Navdeep Saini for the India team setup. They are his products. He also followed his instincts on West Indian all-rounder Sunil Narine during IPL 2024. His observation and cricketing acumen were always outstanding," Bharadwaj said.

Kuldeep Yadav was a key part of India's World Cup-winning side in the Caribbean, claiming 10 wickets in five games. Pacer Navdeep Saini, who last played for India against Sri Lanka at the R. Premadasa Stadium in 2021, might also be on Gambhir's radar.

With Gautam Gambhir's keen eye for talent and strategic mindset, fans are eager to see how he will shape the new-look Indian team and which players will be given opportunities under his guidance.

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The BCCI is set to announce the squads for the T20I and ODI series against Sri Lanka, and it will be interesting to see who gets the nod to play in the contest. The T20I team will have a new captain, either Hardik Pandya or Suryakumar Yadav. In the absence of Rohit Sharma, the ODI team will also have a stand-in skipper.