Agarkar denies Gambhir's Samson request for Champions Trophy; Rohit discards Hardik suggestion for vice-captain
Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar were at loggerheads over two selection matters for India's Champions Trophy squad
India's Champions Trophy squad was to be announced at 12:30 in the afternoon on Saturday. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar and captain Rohit Sharma had arrived at the BCCI headquarters in Mumbai early with most of the squads for the impending ICC tournament, and the home ODI series against England preceding it already set, yet there was a delay of close to two and a half hours in the official announcement. According to a report in Dainik Jagran, the delay was caused as head coach Gautam Gambhir and Agarkar was left at loggerheads over two selection matters.

One of the notable aspects of announcement was that contrary to reports it was not Jasprit Bumrah, but Shubman Gill who was announced as the new vice-captain of the ODI side. While it can be speculated that the selectors only picked the next-best option as Rohit's deputy with the board stull being unsure over whether an injured Bumrah will be able to participate in the tournament, but it also sparked questions over whether the BCCI is looking at Gill to take over the reigns in ODI cricket after Champions Trophy.
However, Gill was not a unanimous choice during the selection meeting. A BCCI official present in the Mumbai office told the national daily that Gambhir was keen on having Hardik Pandya as the vice-captain, but the request was discarded by both Agarkar and Rohit. Notably, Hardik has led the Indian ODI team in the past each time Rohit had missed out on a series. He was also the 37-year-old's deputy in the 2023 ODI World Cup, before being replaced by KL Rahul following the ankle injury.
Gambhir's Samson selection denied
The former India opener has always been a staunch supporter of Samson. Yet, the Kerala wicketkeeper-batter did not make the India squad for the Champions Trophy, which is highly theorised on the fact that he did not play any matches in the recently-concluded Vijay Hazare Trophy tournament.
However, Dainik Jagran added that Gambhir did back Samson for a spot in the India ODI team, but the selectors expressed confidence in Rishabh Pant.
Pant has played a solitary one-day match in the last two years, against Sri Lanka last year, after coming back from the accident, but the selectors have decided to give him the mantle of the first-choice wicketkeeper batter. The left-handed variety that he offers down the line too might have played a part, with KL Rahul supporting him as the back-up wicketkeeper batter.
