Gautam Gambhir is known as a staunch critic of star culture. Yet, explosive allegations have now emerged that he himself is allowing a form of hierarchy among India’s national team cricketers. Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif has raised serious questions over the issue.
During last Sunday’s match against New Zealand, Washington Sundar picked up an injury. Despite that, the star all-rounder was sent out to bat. This prompted Kaif to question why Shubman Gill was not allowed to bat after getting injured earlier, while Sundar was asked to continue.
On Sunday, Sundar suddenly felt a strain in his back while bowling. The pain was so severe that he could not stand upright and was even seen bending over, clutching his back. Support staff rushed onto the field and he was taken off. He could not bowl again. However, when India still needed 22 runs from 22 balls, Sundar returned to bat. It was evident he was playing through pain. He could not run properly between the wickets, increasing pressure during the chase.
Although India eventually won the match, Sundar was ruled out of the remainder of the New Zealand series. Due to a side strain, he has been sidelined for the entire series.
Kaif later vented his anger on his YouTube channel. He said, “When Shubman Gill got injured at Eden Gardens, he did not come out to bat again in that Test. It was a low-scoring match, and if Shubman had scored 20–30 runs, India might have won. The team management chose not to risk him so that his injury would not worsen. But the same mindset was not shown in Sundar’s case.”
According to Kaif, Sunday’s match was under India’s control, yet the management took a huge risk by sending an injured player to bat. Because of this risk, an injury that might have healed in 10 days could now take up to 30 days to recover. Though Kaif did not directly name Gambhir, his criticism was clearly aimed at the team management.
Notably, the T20 World Cup at home is less than a month away. Washington Sundar is part of the World Cup squad. If he fails to recover fully before the mega tournament, it could be a major setback for India.
