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Gautam Gambhir Faces His Own Words As 'Left-Hander' Debate Stings Asia Cup Selection

Soumyajit Dutta

Gautam Gambhir [Source: AFP Photos]Gautam Gambhir [Source: AFP Photos]

India’s squad for the Asia Cup 2025 has been announced, and head coach Gautam Gambhir has quickly found himself at the centre of a fresh controversy. The debate around selection has intensified due to some surprising omissions and unexpected picks, but what has stirred the most noise is a remark Gambhir made two years ago that now appears contradictory.

India’s 15-member squad features Abhishek Sharma, Tilak Varma, Shivam Dube, and Rinku Singh, all left-handers who add variety to the batting lineup. However, in 2023, Gambhir had openly dismissed the idea of carrying multiple left-handers. At the time, the suggestion had come from former head coach Ravi Shastri, but Gautam Gambhir labelled it as “unnecessary.”

What Did Gautam Gambhir Say Earlier?

Two years back, defending his choice of left-handers, Ravi Shastri shared his opinion on a Star Sports talk show. 

"There are three other positions where I think two left-handers have to come in. If you have persisted with Ishan Kishan for the last six to eight months, and he's going to keep wickets, he comes in, in any case. But get two left-handers. Including Jaddu, there should be three left-handers in the top seven," Shastri said.

This is where things got interesting as Gambhir strictly criticised the squad selection of Ravi Shastri and bashed the presence of three left-handers in the team.

"If he has been picked (Tilak Varma), then of course, he should get some matches to play. And if he gets game time and performs better than other batsmen, then you should definitely take him into the squad. We look at quality, we do not look to see how many left-handers are in the squad," Gambhir said while speaking to Star Sports on the Selection Day show.

Gambhir's Heavy Attack On Left-Hander Bias

Gautam Gambhir then argued that having left-handers in the squad should not be treated as a necessity. He said it was unnecessary to assume that three left-handers must be included in the playing XI. According to him, the focus should always remain on the quality of batters, not on how many of them are left-handed. 

Gambhir also pointed out that if the discussion is only about left-handers, then players like Yashasvi Jaiswal and others also come into consideration. Gambhir stressed that selection should be based on merit and ability rather than on fulfilling a left-hander quota.

Ironically, Gambhir now faces the same heat as he selected Tilak Varma and omitted Yashasvi Jaiswal from the squad, who has a prolific T20 record. As Gambhir also faces the heat over including Shubman Gill as the vice-captain, his past philosophy is now being questioned.