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Published 09:20 IST, January 20th 2025

Gautam Gambhir-Hardik Pandya Engage in INTENSE Chat During India's First Practice Session For England T20Is - REPORT

Ahead of the England T20Is, Team India was seen practicing at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday.

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Gambhir-Hardik Intense Chat
Gambhir-Hardik Intense Chat | Image: ANI

Ahead of the England T20Is, Team India was seen practicing at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata on Sunday. It was quite an action-packed day at the Eden Gardens as allrounder Hardik Pandya was reportedly spotted having an intense chat with coach Gautam Gambhir far away from the nets. While it cannot be confirmed what the chat was about, the report claims Gambhir had a separate chat with Sanju Samson as well. It is believed that Gambhir wanted Samson for the Champions Trophy over Rishabh Pant. According to sources, Gambhir wanted Hardik to join captain Suryakumar Yadav as deputy, but that did not happen. Axar Patel is going to be Suryakumar's deputy during the T20Is against England. But, Mohammed Shami was in the spotlight on the first day of training. 

WATCH ROHIT PC: 

For the unversed, Rohit Sharma led the team to a title triumph, but his retirement from the shortest format of the game has left India searching for a successor.

It is worth pointing out that Gambhir and Suryakumar share a long association, as the 33-year-old played under the new head coach's captaincy at the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) from 2014 to 2017. It is worth noting that Gambhir was known to believe in SKY's leadership abilities, as he was the vice captain of the Kolkata-based franchise for a few years.

SKY AS CAPTAIN

Suryakumar led India in seven T20Is against Australia and South Africa last year when Hardik was injured post-the 2023 World Cup. Suryakumar led India to a 4-1 victory at home against Australia and a 1-1 draw against the Proteas with one game washed out.

Suryakumar has captained just once in the IPL , when he led the Mumbai Indians (MI) against KKR in the 2023 IPL when Rohit played as an impact sub.

Updated 09:22 IST, January 20th 2025