Selectors turned down Gambhir’s Pujara demand in BGT squad : Reports

Indian selectors reportedly turned down Gautam Gambhir’s demand to include Cheteshwar Pujara in the squad for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024-25, the Indian Express reported. Gambhir had made the demand ahead of India’s tour of Australia, but the selectors were firm in their approach.

According to the report, the dressing room was in chaos after the loss in Melbourne, and Gambhir was so furious that he said he would decide the strategy for batters', and if anyone failed to adhere to that, they would be given a way out.

The call to include Pujara was high, especially considering his contribution in the last two tours of Australia. As a matter of fact, Pujara has scored 993 runs from 11 games at an average of 47.28 Down Under, but more importantly, he showed tremendous resilience to blunt the new ball. 

Impressed by that quality, Gambhir, always a vocal Pujara supporter, demanded his inclusion, but the selection panel led by Ajit Agarkar strictly rejected him. Now with the clamours of Rohit Sharma’s retirement increasing day by day, it’s not sure if he will be given a longer rope after Sydney. With Jasprit Bumrah being the designated vice-captain, he should ideally be on the line to lead the team, but that’d further put more pressure on his already-overburdened schedule.