Gautam Gambhir 'He has expressed his desire to sacrifice free time for Indian cricket, in discussion with BCCI'

In order to avoid the disappointment seen in India's recent matches in England, Gautam Gambhir is taking proactive measures ahead of the upcoming five-Test series. He has put forward the idea to the BCCI of joining the India 'A' tour to the UK, with the aim of closely monitoring and nurturing emerging talents. A tours have been on the decline in Indian cricket in recent years, but Gambhir is determined to bring back their significance. Unlike past captains like Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri, who took a step back during the IPL, Gambhir is actively preparing to lead the India A tour, giving promising players the opportunity to shine.

"Gambhir has been in discussions with the BCCI since he returned from Australia. He has expressed his desire to travel with the India 'A' team to get a clearer view of the reserve pool. With India winning the Champions Trophy after Gambhir's insistence for certain wild card players, one may expect him to assert more in future," The Times of India quoted a source as saying.

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How will Gambhir approach India A tours?

Whether Gambhir will join the India A team as a mentor or step into the coaching role currently held by VVS Laxman remains to be seen, but one thing is certain: GG is fully committed to this initiative. The core mission behind reviving the A tour initiative is to unearth talent from India's vast pool of players. With his sights set on the 2027 World Cup and the upcoming World Test Championship cycle, Gambhir, a two-time World Cup winner is determined to scout and nurture the next generation of cricketers capable of proudly representing India.

With the five-Test series against England kicking off on June 20, Gambhir plans to arrive in the UK early to kickstart his efforts. Notably, A tours were once a regular fixture in Indian cricket during Rahul Dravid's tenure as their coach, but their frequency dwindled after he transitioned to leading the senior men’s team. With Gambhir now at the helm of this revival, there's optimism that the golden era of A tours – and Indian cricket's talent pipeline – could make a triumphant return.

"One of the crucial issues identified is reviving India 'A' tours. There have been only a handful 'A' series after Dravid left NCA and all of those were shadow tours for a marquee series. Gambhir too believes that there needs to be more 'A' tours. That's why he wants to take stock of the situation firsthand," the source said.

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