Sourav Ganguly snubs Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma as he picks India's trump card for BGT 2024-25

Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly said that the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 will be the biggest challenge for India. Sourav Ganguly stated that wicketkeeper batter Rishabh Pant will be India's trump card in the upcoming five-match Test series in Australia.

Australia is scheduled to host the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting on November 22 in Perth. The series will be the first red-ball encounter between the two countries since the 2023 World Test Championship final, where the Pat Cummins-led team defeated Team India by 209 runs to clinch the ICC title.

India secured back-to-back Border-Gavaskar Trophy wins in Australia. The Men in Blue will now aim for a third consecutive series victory. They secured their first Test victory in Australia under Virat Kohli's captaincy in 2018-19. Ajinkya Rahane guided the team to the series win in the 2020-21 tour.

That's The Toughest Challenge For India - Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly visited former BCCI president Jagmohan Dalmiya's home on the day of Maha Saptami. In a conversation with OneIndia, Ganguly said that the BGT is the biggest challenge for India. He added that it will be a massive challenge to play five Tests in Australia and then England.

"Biggest challenge. That's the toughest challenge for India. Five Tests in Australia and then 5 in the England series. It's a massive challenge," Ganguly told One India.

Rishabh Pant Is An Outstanding Player In Tests - Sourav Ganguly

The former Team India captain said that Rishabh Pant will be a key player for the team in the upcoming series in Australia. Ganguly described Pant as an outstanding Test player, adding his form will be crucial for India's success in the Test series.

"He [Rishabh Pant] is an outstanding player in Tests. He will be India's trump card for the series," Ganguly added.

Rishabh Pant recently returned to red-ball cricket during the two-match Test series against Bangladesh, where he scored a century in his comeback Test. The batter joined the Test side after a 21-month absence. Pant is likely to play in the upcoming three-match Test series against New Zealand at home.

Rohit Sharma To Skip One Test In Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

Indian captain Rohit Sharma may miss the first Test match against Australia due to personal reasons. According to a Sports Tak report, Rohit has informed the BCCI that he might need to skip one of the first two Tests because of a pressing personal matter, but there isn't any clarity on the situation.

"There isn't any complete clarity about the situation. It is understood that Rohit has intimated to the BCCI that there is a possibility that due to a pressing personal matter, he might have to skip one of the two Tests at the beginning of the series," a BCCI source told Sports Tak.

Also read: India or Australia? Ex India selector predicts the winner of Border-Gavaskar Trophy