Gautam Gambhir breaks silence on Rishabh Pant’s Test vice-captaincy removal, tells him to score runs and play the situation originally appeared on Cricket News.
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KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- Gautam Gambhir broke his silence on Rishabh Pant losing India’s Test vice-captaincy.
- He said Pant must respect match situations without changing his attacking approach.
- KL Rahul replaced Pant as deputy to Test captain Shubman Gill.
Gautam Gambhir speaks out on Rishabh Pant’s vice-captaincy removal
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has addressed why Rishabh Pant was stripped of the Test vice-captaincy ahead of the Afghanistan fixture.
When the Indian squad for the one-off Test against Afghanistan was announced, Pant was removed as Shubman Gill’s deputy, with KL Rahul stepping into that role.
India had been beaten 0-2 at home by South Africa in their most recent Test series, and Pant’s batting had drawn sharp criticism. In the second Test in Guwahati, he played a reckless shot that threw away his wicket at a critical moment.
His IPL 2026 season with Lucknow Super Giants had also been below his usual standard, which only added to the pressure building around him.
MORE: Rishabh Pant loses India Test vice-captaincy to KL Rahul and dropped from ODIs
What did Gautam Gambhir say about Rishabh Pant?
Speaking to reporters on Friday ahead of the Afghanistan Test, Gambhir chose his words carefully but made it clear that the team management had no desire to remake Pant as a player, but that the demands of international cricket required every player to respond in lieu of the situation.
“We don’t want Rishabh Pant to change, but international cricket demands players to respect match situations,” Gambhir told reporters.
Gambhir did not want Pant, or anyone else in the squad, confusing the honour of wearing the India shirt with the burden of a title next to their name.
“Responsibility is only playing for India. Everything else – captaincy, vice-captaincy – is a byproduct…,” he said.
“We will expect him to be the way he is. It’s not like we will tell him to curb his game, but playing the situation is very important… the ultimate aim is to score runs and take wickets.”
MORE: No Samson in India squad for IND vs AFG ODI series 2026 as Kishan is picked
The Cricket News Opinion: The message to Pant was firm from Gambhir
Gambhir did not point fingers, but the message was not difficult to decode. Pant’s dismissal in Guwahati was not forgotten, and the vice-captaincy change was the clearest signal the management could send without making it personal.
The coach is right that Pant’s attacking instincts are an asset, but instincts without judgment can undo a team in an instant. The ball is back in Pan’t court, and it remains to be seen how he responds to the criticism with the bat.
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