Gautam Gambhir confirms this player will step up as ODI captain if Rohit Sharma skips Sri Lanka tour

Gautam Gambhir has kicked off his tenure as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team in an unusual way, conducting an indoor meeting alongside the Indian selection committee. Gambhir’s first meeting, dubbed "productive," lasted over an hour and involved discussions with Indian chief selector Ajit Agarkar and BCCI secretary Jay Shah.

Cricbuzz claimed that this meeting was conducted online, and Gambhir joined from his residence in New Delhi on Tuesday (July 16) afternoon, discussing the team selections and strategies for the upcoming limited-overs series against Sri Lanka.

KL Rahul to step up as ODI Captain if Rohit Sharma skips Sri Lanka tour

During the meeting, Gambhir, Shah, and Agarkar also discussed the Indian captain Rohit Sharma's potential return for the upcoming three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka next month.

Notably, Rohit is currently vacationing in the US with his family, and his availability remains uncertain but crucial, especially since only a limited ODIs are slated before the upcoming ICC Champions Trophy 2025.

Well, Rohit will convey his decision shortly about his availability for the ODI series before an upcoming online meeting scheduled for Wednesday, July 17. However, if the Indian skipper decides to skip the Sri Lanka tour, then KL Rahul will be the captain for the ODI series, as reported by Cricbuzz.

Meanwhile, it is being said that there are high chances for Rohit to participate in the upcoming ODI series against Sri Lanka, as there are not many ODI matches slated for Team India before the upcoming Champion Trophy 2025 in February-March.

However, key players like Jasprit Bumrah and Virat Kohli, who have been rested for the Sri Lanka series, are unlikely to be named in the ODI squad. On the other hand, Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul are almost confirmed to travel to Sri Lanka with the ODI squad.

KL Rahul's return almost confirmed, but Hardik Pandya's T20I captaincy and ODI return uncertain

In the scenario, where Rohit opts out of Sri Lanka ODIs, the star wicketkeeper-batter Rahul emerges as a strong contender for Team India’s ODI captaincy, a role he has previously excelled in.

However, the final call will be taken on Wednesday’s meeting, but the reports confirmed that Rahul will be appointed ODI captain for the Sri Lanka tour, if Rohit decides to extend his US holiday.

Reports also suggest that the star Indian all-rounder Hardik Pandya may decide to sit out the ODI series in Sri Lanka. Hardik has reportedly conveyed his decision to Rohit and BCCI to skip the ODI series due to “very very personal reasons”. However, he is likely to lead India in Sri Lanka T20Is.

However, it was an introductory meeting, but the Indian selection committee and Gambhir had crucial exchanges, floating the ideas about the future direction of Indian cricket and the team for the upcoming white-ball series in Sri Lanka in July-August.

The newly-appointed India coach made it clear to the national selection committee about the qualities of players he wants in his team. It is being said that Gambhir backed Suryakumar Yadav over Hardik for India’s T20I captaincy despite the all-rounder had already the honore of doing so in the past.