Sunil Gavaskar Archives

Gavaskar wants ‘post-mortem’ after India’s whitewash

Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has urged the need for a ‘post-mortem’ of the India Test team following the whitewash against South Africa.

A day earlier, South Africa handed India a 408-run thrashing, a record Test defeat for them, to clinch the series 2-0.

It was India’s fifth defeat in their last seven home Test matches, dating back a little over a year to New Zealand’s 3-0 series victory.

“You need to do a thorough post-mortem as to areas that you need to strengthen at the Test level,” Gavaskar said. “Bring in an outside perspective.”

He stressed the need for a discussion with former greats of Indian cricket to devise a strategy for the upcoming years.

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“Take Ravi Shastri, Rahul Dravid — your two earlier coaches. Take Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly, and Sachin Tendulkar. Sit with them and formulate for the next five years what Indian cricket should be doing,” he said.

The 76-year-old backed Gautam Gambhir, who is under severe scrutiny after India’s dismal show. Gavaskar said that Gambhir also deserves credit for bringing several laurels in recent times, if he is to be put in the spotlight for recent losses.

“He’s a coach,” said Gavaskar. “The coach can prepare a team. But it’s out there in the middle that the players have to deliver,” Gavaskar said on Gambhir.

“If you’re not prepared to give him credit for the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup win, then please tell me why you want to blame him for the team out there on that 22-yard strip not doing well,” Gavaskar continued.

For the unversed, India’s batting flopped in the series, with their first innings total of 201 in Guwahati, their best against an inspired South Africa spin attack led by Simon Harmer.

The hosts lost the opening Test inside three days in Kolkata and in the second match mustered only 140, chasing a mammoth 549 target on day five.

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Gavaskar slams Pakistan for skipping press conference ahead of India clash

DUBAI: Former World Cup winner Sunil Gavaskar has criticised Pakistan team management’s decision to cancel their scheduled pre-match press conference on the eve of their high-voltage Super Four clash against India in the ACC Asia Cup 2025.

Pakistan were due to address the media at 6 pm local time on Saturday at the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, but the briefing was called off without explanation.

Speaking to the media, Gavaskar expressed concern over Pakistan’s approach to handling press obligations during major tournaments.

He stressed that such interactions are vital to maintain transparency and avoid unnecessary speculation.

“I don’t know what the thinking behind that is, but as far as I know, press conferences are mandatory,” Gavaskar said.

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“If teams don’t hold them, I’m not sure what the penalties are, if any, but in today’s world, it’s important for the media to be involved and kept informed.”

The former India opener further underlined the need for direct communication, adding that openness between teams and the press helps build trust among fans.

“It’s always better for teams to convey their stance directly instead of relying on ‘sources’ or speculation. Perhaps Pakistan felt they had nothing new to share, which, frankly, isn’t surprising,” he added.

Sunil Gavaskar also touched upon the role of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), pointing out that decisions are taken collectively with input from all member nations.

“Yes, Mohsin Naqvi is the ACC president, but the organisation involves representatives from India, Sri Lanka, and other member countries,” Gavaskar remarked.

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“There’s a governing committee that looks after tournaments like this, and they’ll want to understand what’s going on.”

He even suggested that stricter measures could be introduced to ensure compliance.

“If the rulebook makes press conferences mandatory, then perhaps a point deduction from the table could be an option going forward,” he said.

Notably, this was the second time Pakistan have skipped a press conference in the ongoing Asia Cup.

Earlier, they also declined to appear before the media ahead of their must-win group match against the UAE, at the height of the PCB’s row with match referee Andy Pycroft following the handshake controversy in the group-stage clash against India.

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Sunil Gavaskar backs THIS player for India’s Asia Cup XI spot

Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has thrown his weight behind wicketkeeper-batter Sanju Samson, insisting that he should feature in the starting XI for the ACC Asia Cup 2025 rather than remain in the reserves.

Speaking to Indian media on Friday, Gavaskar said excluding a player of Samson’s calibre would be a mistake, stressing his ability to adapt across the batting order.

“If you include Sanju Samson in the core squad, then you can’t have him sitting in the reserves,” Gavaskar said. “He’s someone who can bat at number three if needed, or even drop down the order as a finisher.”

The legendary opener acknowledged that India also has options in Jitesh Sharma, who impressed during the latest IPL season, but called it a “good headache” for the selectors.

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“My feeling is that Samson might get the nod ahead of Jitesh for the first couple of games, and then it depends on his form for the rest of the tournament,” Sunil Gavaskar predicted.

He also suggested that the management could experiment with Samson at number three, leaving Tilak Varma and Hardik Pandya to provide finishing power in the middle and lower order.

India will begin their Asia Cup campaign on September 10 against the UAE in Dubai, before facing arch-rivals Pakistan on September 14. Their final group-stage fixture will be against Oman on September 19 in Abu Dhabi.

India’s Asia Cup 2025 squad

Suryakumar Yadav (captain), Shubman Gill (vice-captain), Hardik Pandya, Arshdeep Singh, Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Jitesh Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah, Varun Chakravarthy, Kuldeep Yadav, Harshit Rana, Rinku Singh, Sanju Samson.

READ: Babar Azam named in PCB’s red-ball training camp for South Africa series

‘Nobody is indispensable’: Former India captain warns Jasprit Bumrah

Former India captain and legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has warned ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah about workload management ahead of the Asia Cup 2025 selection.

The decision to rest Bumrah in the recently concluded Test series against England has been a subject of debate. The right-arm pacer only played three Tests amid a workload management plan after recovering from an injury sustained during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

Now, with reports indicating Jasprit Bumrah’s availability for the Asia Cup 2025, Gavaskar has issued a blunt warning in his column for a news outlet.

“Nobody is indispensable. That’s why it is of prime importance for the selectors to now decide when Jasprit Bumrah should be playing,” he said.

“There’s already been a lot of debate about his appearances in the recently concluded series in England. To be fair, he had informed the selection committee that he could play only three Tests out of the five,” the former captain added.

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Sunil Gavaskar also criticized the decision to rest Jasprit Bumrah in the all-important fifth match of the series, where the Anderson-Tendulkar trophy was at stake for Team India.

“The debate that has generated some heat is whether he should have played the last must-win Test match, especially since it was the grassiest pitch at the Oval in a long time. The next Test match was in early October, and so there were two clear months for him to rest and recover in time for that,” Gavaskar wrote.

“The Indian team management stated that he wasn’t picked considering his future. This is where the lines between what is good for the individual and what is good for Indian cricket got a little blurred,” he said.

The 76-year-old further remarked that no player is irreplaceable; if Bumrah had been fit, he should have played the final Test match.

“Surely at that stage, if he was fit, then for Indian cricket’s sake, he had to play. Whether then it was his call or the management’s call not to play is not known, but in the end, after India’s win it showed once again, if ever there was need to know that nobody is indispensable in the game. The game just moves on,” Sunil Gavaskar concluded.

READ: Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj likely to miss out on Asia Cup selection: report

Indian legend criticises name order in Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy

Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar has strongly criticised the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) for placing James Anderson’s name before Sachin Tendulkar’s in the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy, which has replaced the historic Pataudi Trophy.

The ECB recently announced the rebranding ahead of the ongoing five-match Test series in England.

While a Pataudi Medal will still be awarded to the winning captain, the actual series trophy has been renamed to honour Sachin Tendulkar and James Anderson.

Gavaskar, in his Mid-Day column, criticised the decision to award the Pataudi medal to the winning captain, questioning what would occur if the series ended in a draw.

“Why the captain? And what if the series is drawn?” he questioned.

“It would have been better to have the Pataudi Medal for the Player of the Match in every Test, and the Pataudi Trophy for the Player of the Series.

“This way, the Pataudis will be remembered after every Test match played as well as after the series is finished in England.”

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Sunil Gavaskar did not stop there as he questioned the order of names in the new title, expressing surprise that Anderson’s name came before Tendulkar’s.

“The ECB is fully entitled to call the series by any name they choose, but for most, if not all, Indian cricket lovers, it is jarring to know that Anderson’s name comes first,” Gavaskar wrote.

“Not only is Sachin Tendulkar, along with Kapil Dev, the greatest Indian cricketer, but also senior to Anderson by more than a dozen years.

“I hope the Indian media and fans start calling it the Tendulkar-Anderson Trophy, that’s how it should be.”

The former India captain also drew attention to the staggering difference in the cricketing legacies of both men.

“Tendulkar is numero uno as far as runs and centuries are concerned in Test cricket. Even at the one-day level, he has more runs than anybody else,” Gavaskar noted.

“Anderson is third in the list of wicket-takers in Test cricket, and his record is nowhere as good as Tendulkar’s in one-day cricket.

“Anderson was a terrific bowler, but mainly in English conditions. His record away is nowhere near as good as Tendulkar’s.”

READ: Jasprit Bumrah breaks Wasim Akram’s record to achieve THIS feat

Sunil Gavaskar’s Asia Cup 2025 remarks draw ire of former Pakistan players

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has sparked controversy with his recent comments questioning Pakistan’s participation in the Asia Cup 2025, leading to backlash from cricketing icons, including Javed Miandad.

In an interview with an Indian news outlet, Gavaskar hinted that political tensions between India and Pakistan could overshadow the upcoming Asia Cup 2025.

He pointed to the BCCI’s historic alignment with the Indian government’s stance, suggesting that if the current political climate doesn’t shift, Pakistan might not feature in the tournament.

“BCCI’s stance has always followed the Indian government’s direction. If the situation hasn’t changed, I don’t see Pakistan taking part in the Asia Cup,” said Sunil Gavaskar.

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He went a step further, even speculating on the future of the Asian Cricket Council (ACC), suggesting it could be dissolved in favour of tri-series or four-nation tournaments depending on how “regional dynamics” evolve.

“It’s possible that the Asian Cricket Council could be dissolved. Instead, we might see a tri-series or a four-nation event. What happens next will depend on how things unfold in the coming months,” Gavaskar added.

The remarks didn’t sit well with Pakistan’s cricket fraternity. Javed Miandad, who shares a long-standing camaraderie with Gavaskar and has often praised him for his dignified demeanour, seemed taken aback.

“I can’t believe Sunny bhai said that,” Miandad responded. “He’s always been a respectful, down-to-earth person who stayed away from political talk.”

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Former left-arm spinner Iqbal Qasim echoed the sentiment, initially suspecting that Gavaskar had been misquoted.

“He’s a responsible figure, respected on both sides of the border. Politics should never mix with sports,” Qasim said, calling for cricket to remain a unifying force rather than a divisive tool.

But the strongest reaction came from Basit Ali, who didn’t mince his words. “Stupid comments,” he said bluntly. “Let’s not jump to conclusions. Cricket should stay above political hostilities.”

The Asia Cup 2025 will feature eight teams, the five full members of the ACC (Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Afghanistan) alongside Hong Kong, Oman, and the UAE, who qualified through the 2024 ACC Men’s Premier Cup.

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WATCH: Sunil Gavaskar dances with childlike joy after India’s Champions Trophy victory

Sunil Gavaskar, the legendary former Indian cricketer and commentator, joyfully danced on Sunday to celebrate India’s win in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 final.

After the Indian team secured their third Champions Trophy title, Gavaskar was seen dancing joyfully like a child.

The celebratory dance of Sunil Gavaskar quickly went viral on social media. Indian sports outlet Star Sports shared the viral clip with the caption, “𝘿𝙞𝙡 𝙩𝙤𝙝 𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙘𝙝𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙞 𝙟𝙞 😍 Just a glimpse of Sunil Gavaskar’s passion and love for Indian cricket!”

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On Sunday, India triumphed in the final against New Zealand at Dubai International Cricket Stadium.

The Men in Blue Chased down a target of 252 runs with six wickets and six balls to spare, led by a match-winning half-century from captain Rohit Sharma.

Although the team faced a hiccup after Sharma’s wicket, crucial contributions from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul helped the Indian team cross the finishing line.

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Batting first, New Zealand struggled to post a competitive total, managing just 251 runs, despite Daryl Mitchell’s half-century.

It is important to note that this was India’s second consecutive ICC title after winning the T20 World Cup in 2024.

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‘India ran away from playing in Sharjah’ Inzamam-ul-Haq slams Gavaskar’s B team remarks

Former Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul-Haq criticized Indian legend Sunil Gavaskar for his comments about the Pakistan team following their disappointing performance in the ICC Men’s Champions Trophy 2025.

A few days earlier, during an interview, Gavaskar highlighted Pakistan’s bench strength and stated that even a second-string Indian team would defeat Pakistan.

“I think a B team from India can certainly give Pakistan a tough fight. A C team, I’m not too sure, but a B team will be very, very hard to beat for Pakistan in their current form.”

“Pakistan has talented players, but they haven’t been able to build a strong backup. It’s surprising that they have struggled to produce batters like Inzamam-ul-Haq,” said Gavaskar.

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Inzamam-ul-Haq recently addressed remarks made by Sunil Gavaskar during a TV show and criticised him for giving such statements.

“India has performed well and won, but Gavaskar should also review the stats. There was a time when the Indian team withdrew from playing against Pakistan in Sharjah,” said Inzamam.

“He is an elder and a respected figure in cricket, and we hold him in high regard. You have the right to praise your team, but it’s not right to say about another team like this,” he said.

He further stated that Gavaskar is a big and respectful cricketer, but it is not appropriate to make negative comments about another team

“While it is your right to praise your own team, it is not appropriate to make negative comments about another team.”

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“Gavaskar is a respected cricketer, but I urge him not to undermine his own dignity with such statements. When discussing another country, it is important to choose your words carefully. I say this with a sense of seriousness,” concluded Inzamam.

Read: Mitchell, Bracewell fifties help New Zealand set 252 target for India in Champions Trophy final

Jason Gillespie slams Sunil Gavaskar’s ‘nonsense’ comment on Pakistan cricket team

Former Pakistan head coach Jason Gillespie has strongly criticized Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar for his recent remarks suggesting that even a second or third-string Indian team could defeat the Green Shirts.

Speaking after Pakistan’s disappointing exit from the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, where they suffered defeats at the hands of New Zealand and India, Gavaskar had claimed that India’s B or C team could outplay Pakistan in an ODI match.

Gillespie, however, was quick to dismiss this statement, calling it “absolute nonsense.” He went on to state that Pakistan’s team, if managed and supported properly, has the potential to defeat any opponent, including India.

“I don’t buy this rhetoric. I saw some comments from Sunil Gavaskar about the Indian B team or Indian C team beating Pakistan’s top team. That’s nonsense. Absolute nonsense,” Jason Gillespie said in an interview with the PakPassion podcast.

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The former Australian cricketer emphasized the importance of selecting the right players and allowing them to develop their skills over time.

“If Pakistan pick and stick with the right players and give them time to shine, time to learn, and develop their games, they can beat anyone. I have got no doubt about that,” he added.

Jason Gillespie also expressed concern over the impatience within Pakistan cricket, urging the selectors and management to show more faith in their players.

“They are high in talent. You just have to pick the right kind of talent. You have to support them and be patient with them. There’s far too much impatience, in my opinion, in Pakistan cricket,” he further stated.

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Sunil Gavaskar slams former England captains, defends India’s Dubai advantage

Legendary batter Sunil Gavaskar has hit back at Nasser Hussain and Michael Atherton after the former England captains raised concerns over India playing all their ICC Champions Trophy 2025 matches in Dubai.

With India refusing to travel to Pakistan due to political tensions, the ICC scheduled all their group-stage games in Dubai, a move that sparked debate over fairness. However, Gavaskar dismissed England’s complaints, calling them excuses for their own failures.

Speaking to Sports Today, the Indian legend criticized the constant whining from former English cricketers, urging them to reflect on their own team’s early exit from the tournament rather than fixating on India.

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“I think these are all wise and experienced people. Why don’t you actually look at why your team has not qualified? That’s what I was going to ask you, sir,” Sunil Gavaskar stated.

“Rather than constantly focusing on India, are you even looking at your own backyard? Your players are in such a fragile mental state, they don’t seem to care about results as long as they meet certain expectations.”

England’s semi-final hopes were dashed after losses to Australia and Afghanistan, prompting Hussain and Atherton to question whether India had an unfair advantage. But Gavaskar was quick to shut down the narrative.

“All the time, they are moaning, ‘India has got this, India has got that.’ It’s constant. We must just ignore it. Let them keep moaning. We have better things to focus on. That is the kind of attitude you must have,” he further stated.

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Sunil Gavaskar also highlighted India’s massive influence in world cricket, both in terms of on-field dominance and financial contributions through media rights and sponsorships.

“They just cannot seem to understand where India stands in international cricket in terms of quality, income, talent, and, more importantly, in terms of generating revenue,” he said.

“India’s contribution to global cricket through television rights and media revenue plays a massive role. They need to understand that their salaries also come from what India brings to the world of cricket.”

READ: Champions Trophy: England registers unwanted ODI record after defeat to South Africa