Gautam Gambhir welcomes three new faces, wastes no time getting down to business: ‘We know what’s in front of us’

Gautam Gambhir welcomed India's new entrants, praised Saransh Jain and Auqib Nabi, and urged the squad to be fully prepared for the crucial Sri Lanka Tests.

Published on: Aug 6, 2026, 11:17:27 IST

Written by Aditya Bhattacharya

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With nine days to go for the first India vs Sri Lanka Test, head coach Gautam Gambhir got the squad together to welcome the three new entries in the Indian team. 33-year-old Saransh Jain earned his maiden India call-up before Jammu & Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi replaced the injured Jasprit Bumrah. Gambhir congratulated the duo on their hard work that’s gotten them here, but at the same time reminded them that this is just the beginning.

Gautam Gambhir addressed the entire Indian squad (Screengrab/BCCI)

Jain, an all-rounder from Madhya Pradesh, will join a spin-attack comprising Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav and Manav Suthar, with spin being crucial to the team’s plans in Sri Lanka. Jain’s rise wasn’t mercurial but a reward for spending years in domestic cricket building his reputation. When Washington Sundar got injured, the fact that Jain registered match figures of 6/158 and scored 70 for India A against Sri Lanka A made the selectors’ job easier.

‘Make sure you make your contry proud’

“Welcome, everyone. We’ve got a couple of new guys in. Saransh, congratulations. You’ve worked extremely hard to be here. Make sure that you make your family and country proud, whenever you get that opportunity,” Gambhir said, followed by applause from the rest of the squad members.

And then there’s Nabi. Grabbing 60 wickets in the recent Ranji Trophy season and finishing as the highest wicket-taker, Nabi’s initial omission raised a lot of eyebrows. However, with Bumrah ruled out, luck shone bright on Nabi.

“And secondly, I want to congratulate Auqib. You’ve had a phenomenal last season, made J&K win Ranji Trophy, which is a great achievement. Congratulations once again,” added Gambhir.

Welcome, Subhadeep Ghosh

Barring Jain and Nabi, a new face also graced the Indian support staff, as 57-year-old Subhadeep Ghosh replaced T Dilip as the fielding coach. The belief is that India’s fielding standards have fallen considerably, and Ghosh’s addition is expected to turn the tables.

“I want to welcome Joy as well. He’s worked with so many teams for so many years. I’m sure his passion, commitment will carry this team forward and make sure that his energy levels will help everyone achieve the target which we want to achieve,” added Gambhir.

The big picture

Finally, Gambhir was quick to remind everyone of the challenge that awaited the team. Currently ranked 7th on the World Test Championship points table, India have nine Tests remaining, and with each of them believed to be extremely crucial, the head coach laid down the marker.

“Lastly, guys, we know what’s in front of us. We know what we are playing for. We can do the volume, push our limits, and tick all the boxes. Come the 15th morning, whether we are batting first or bowling first, we are absolutely ready with all the answers for every question that’s thrown at us,” he said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight. At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.Read More

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