Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar spoke at a press conference ahead of the Sri Lanka tour. Gambhir is speaking to the media for the first time after becoming the head coach. After the announcement of the team, the fans were in the sky as to how the two would respond to the questions raised.

Agarkar explained the omission of stars like Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma and Ruturaj Gaekwad. “Only 15 players can be selected for the team. It is a challenge. We have to select a team as balanced as possible. Even the players who performed well in the last matches may miss out.

Abhishek, who recently made his T20 debut in the Zimbabwe series, scored a century in the limited opportunities he got. Gaekwad also performed well but failed to make the squad. Similarly, Sanju Samson also scored a maiden international century in the last ODI, scoring a half-century against Zimbabwe.

But with Rishabh Pant returning to the wicketkeeper position along with KL Rahul, Sanju did not get a place. In the Zimbabwe series, many players were given a chance. It went great. But the players who have joined the team now can retain their place in the team only if they excel in the opportunities they get. Because there are better substitutes out there. Agarkar said, “What I want to say to those who are on the outside is to continue to perform well. Sanju can secure his place in the format if he utilizes the opportunity in T20 properly.”

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