Captaincy Calculus: Was Gambhir’s faith in Shreyas ever a secret?

Besides the Indian selection committee’s use-and-throw policy in recent years—where structures are created and dismantled at will—the practice of reassessing situations and building a fresh leadership framework every cycle has become more the rule than the exception. There is certainly no shortage of options when it comes to appointing a new captain. If not Suryakumar Yadav, then why not Shreyas Iyer?

Does he deserve it? Absolutely.

Chief selector Ajit Agarkar now rates him highly, and so does India head coach Gautam Gambhir. Who said Gambhir never wanted Shreyas to become India’s T20 captain or had a little choice in the matter?

When Gambhir’s role in Delhi franchise cricket came to an end, it was Shreyas whose name he backed for a leadership position. Even when Shreyas was not the frontrunner for captaincy in 2024, the newly appointed mentor Gambhir supported him. Earlier too, Gambhir had backed Shreyas to be India’s ODI vice-captain against Afghanistan. The signs were always there.

In fact, much of the media was already aware that Shreyas was Gambhir’s preferred choice. Eventually, he became the man entrusted with the responsibility. That relationship and mutual trust have only strengthened since then, making Shreyas a serious contender whenever India’s next T20 captaincy debate gathered pace.

But what about the theories that emerged after Shreyas won the 2024 IPL title with KKR, only for much of the credit to be attributed to Gambhir rather than the captain himself? And what about the time when Gambhir had to step aside in Delhi’s IPL setup to make way for a young Shreyas?

Those episodes belong to the past and appear to have little bearing on the current Indian team environment. As things stand, it is all smiles and mutual respect. After all, as the board officials would tell you with big smiles on their faces, it was a unanimous choice.

If not Shreyas, then who has Gambhir backed? And if Gambhir genuinely has no preferred option, does that mean the establishment feels the need to keep him in check in Rohit Sharma’s absence by backing a candidate who is not his first choice? Who knows?