Current Top India Wicketkeeper Unhappy With Head Coach Gautam Gambhir Ahead of Champions Trophy 2025: Report

Tensions Rise in Indian Cricket Camp Ahead of Champions Trophy 2025 Opener

• Unhappy Wicketkeeper Ahead of Champions Trophy: A report by Times Now has revealed that a top Indian wicketkeeper is reportedly unhappy with head coach Gautam Gambhir just two days before India’s opening match in the Champions Trophy 2025 against Bangladesh. The player, whose identity remains undisclosed, is concerned about not being the first-choice wicketkeeper for India’s playing XI in ODIs.
• KL Rahul vs. Rishabh Pant for Wicketkeeper Spot: The two contenders for the wicketkeeper position are KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant. Rahul was preferred over Pant during India’s recent ODIs against England, scoring 52 runs in three matches, including a knock of 40 in the third ODI. Rahul was also impressive during the 2023 ODI World Cup, scoring 452 runs in 10 innings at an average of 75.33.
• Pant’s Struggles Since Return: Rishabh Pant, on the other hand, has played just one ODI since his return to cricket after a horrific car accident in December 2022. He scored only six runs in the match against Sri Lanka last year.
• Tensions in the Indian Dressing Room: This isn’t the first instance of reported tensions involving Gautam Gambhir. There were rumors of discord during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia, where India suffered a 1-3 loss. It was claimed that Gambhir was unhappy with a young player leaking dressing room details.
• Ongoing Conflict Rumors: In addition to these issues, reports also surfaced about a “Mr. Fix-It” who allegedly aspired to become the Indian cricket team’s captain on an interim basis.
• India’s Champions Trophy Campaign: India, led by Rohit Sharma, will begin their Champions Trophy 2025 journey against Bangladesh in Dubai on Thursday. The other teams in Group A are hosts Pakistan and New Zealand. India will be looking for a strong start to their tournament campaign despite these off-field tensions.

As the tournament approaches, the internal conflicts and the uncertainty around key positions could be a distraction for the Men in Blue.