India head coach Gautam Gambhir has broken his silence on Rishabh Pant's removal as Test vice-captain, saying that the team management does not want the wicketkeeper-batter to change his natural style of play, but the 28-year-old must improve his ability to read match situations in international cricket.
Pant was replaced by KL Rahul as India's Test vice-captain ahead of the one-off Test against Afghanistan, a move that sparked widespread debate. The leadership change came after the left-hander endured a disappointing Test series against South Africa, where India were whitewashed 0-2, and a below-par IPL 2026 season with the Lucknow Super Giants.
Addressing the issue during a pre-match press conference, Gambhir made it clear that the team management continues to back Pant's aggressive approach. "And, as far as Rishabh is concerned, we will expect him to be the way he is. It's not like we will tell him to work on his game.
But, in international cricket, it's very important to read the situation," he said. "At that time, what kind of situation was there, and what kind of situation demands a certain shot. But, it's not like any player is told to play a completely different game than his natural game," he added.
The India coach said players across formats must ultimately focus on contributing to the team's success. "Whether it's test cricket, one-day cricket, or T20 cricket. The ultimate aim is to make a run and take a wicket. You can never get away from that. No matter how you make it, it's up to you.
But it's very important to read the situation and the game," he said. Gambhir also played down the significance of leadership roles, insisting that captaincy and vice-captaincy are secondary to performing for the country. "See, responsibility is only for playing for India.
Everything else is a by-product. Captaincy, vice-captaincy, all these are by-products. When you start playing for India, you don't think about vice-captaincy or captaincy from day one. You think about doing good for India. So, going from one to the other is only a by-product," he added.
Meanwhile, Pant, 28, is preparing to play his 50th Test match against Afghanistan in New Chandigarh starting on Saturday. In 49 Tests, Pant has amassed 3476 runs at an average of 42.91 and strike-rate of 74.24, including hitting eight centuries and 18 fifties.