‘A little friction’: Dinesh Karthik hints at rift between Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar after India T20I disaster Cricket News
former indian wicketkeeper batsman Dinesh Karthik I believe there may be differences between head coaches Gautam Gambhir and chief elector Ajit Agarkarsuggesting that different priorities may have contributed to India’s selection decision during the recent T20I tour of England. India endure a disappointing campaign under captain Shreyas IyerLost 2-0 to Ireland in the two-match T20I series and then were beaten 4-0 by England in the five-match T20I series. These performances brought Gambier more and more attention while dealing with Sanzhou Samson Teen star Vaibhav Sooryavanshi is also in the spotlight. Suryavanshi has impressed in the IPL and many tipped him to make his international debut in the Ireland series. However, Samson retained his place in the XI. Samson was dropped after scoring just three low scores and was replaced by the 15-year-old, who made his debut against England but failed to make an impact. Sooryavanshi was subsequently ruled out of the fifth and final T20I while Samson returned to the side. Karthik told the Sky Sports Cricket Podcast that the constant changes suggested there might be a disconnect between the team management and the selection committee. “There’s some friction between the chief selector and the manager. I feel like Agarkar has a long-term plan and the current coach is saying, ‘You know, I want to win every game.'” So we’re seeing the chaos unfolding in front of us. Is it ideal for players? Absolutely not,” Karthik said. He also noted that India’s vast squad depth will only increase the pressure on players trying to cement their spots. “I mean, if you come from India, imagine how good your bench is? Everyone is thinking, if I play a few bad games, anyone can replace me. The bottom line is that this happened and it is definitely a situation that India needs to be aware of and correct as soon as possible,” he added. Karthik further said that Agarkar’s focus seems to be on nurturing the next generation, while Gambhir is naturally under pressure to deliver results immediately. “I think chief selector Agarkar is looking at the future and the group of players he wants to see around him. At the same time, Gambhir might be thinking, ‘I want to win every series because that’s my name.’ So, maybe there’s a conflict; that’s what it looks like,” Karthik said. “There is one selector who wants to build the team and another selector who says I want to be successful because every series I play, my name is on the line with the captaincy,” he added. After a disappointing tour, the BCCI confirmed that India’s poor T20I performance will be reviewed during the UK leg, with team selection and overall results expected to come under scrutiny.
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