Former Indian batsman Gautam Gambhir is completely unimpressed by Virat Kohli’s and management’s decision to ditch the mysterious T20I series spinner Varun Chakravarthy England after the spinner failed the fitness tests.
It is reported that Rajasthan Royals all-rounder Rahul Tewatia along with Chakravarthy failed the fitness tests and may also be fired from the roster. It was a chance for both players to make their national debut – Chakravarthy after his impressive performances in the IPL 2020 were first called up for the Australian tour but were excluded due to a shoulder injury.
Gautam Gambhir believes that while it is fair for players to pass certain fitness tests, they must be given time. The former KKR skipper points out that it took even the captain Virat Kohli years to reach his current fitness level. Therefore, the new players should be given sufficient time to pass the fitness tests.
Varun Chakravarthy. Photo credit – BCCI / IPL
“It really depends on the player. Ultimately, if there is a benchmark, it has to be reached as easily as possible. But then people like Virat Kohli got to that stage over a period of time; You didn’t get to that level right away. “ Gautam Gambhir told ESPNcricinfo.
“For example, it will always be difficult to bring someone like Rahul Tewatia, who plays for Haryana, or Varun Chakravarthy, who doesn’t play much domestic cricket, to the level of Virat Kohli or Hardik Pandya or Kl Rahul – it takes years and years to build this type of fitness.
“You have to give the players time. When he (Kohli) sets a standard, when he feels he can achieve that standard, and he wants everyone to achieve that standard. But give young players time to reach this standard. You can’t expect everyone to have the same level of fitness that you have. Everyone is different,” he added.
Important work ethic: Gautam Gambhir
Rahul Tewatia. Image BCCI / IPL
Gautam Gambhir talks about the new culture of elite fitness in the Indian team. The 39-year-old believes management should pay attention to these young players’ work ethics first, keep them on the roster, and then call their fitness.
The earlier kick-off assumes that players should have time to pass the tests when they are making their best efforts to improve their fitness.
“That’s why I say, okay, you have to look at work ethic, which is important. They don’t expect players like Tewatia and Chakravarthy to hit the benchmark right away. If they’re not fit, if they can’t meet these benchmarks, if their work ethic isn’t up to par, then you can probably make the decision.
“But if they are working really hard in the gym and trying as hard as they can, you have to appreciate their hard work. All you can see is when they are on the roster. “ Gautam Gambhir added.
Also read: ‘Holy Smokes’ – Kevin Pietersen welcomes Jofra Archer’s Rishabh Pants reverse flick as the ‘greatest shot’ of all time
