India head coach Gautam Gambhir revealed that he does not regret not captaining the side permanently despite playing 100 Test matches or even getting close to 10,000 runs in any format. He said that he is lucky to have won two World Cups for India. Gambhir was India's highest run-getter in India's T20 World Cup-winning campaign in 2007 and also in the 2011 ODI World Cup final.
Gambhir scored 75 off 53 balls in the T20 World Cup final against Pakistan, which India won by 5 runs to lift the maiden World T20 in South Africa in 2007. Four years later, Gambhir scored an invaluable 97 in the ODI World Cup final against Sri Lanka that helped MS Dhoni-led India win the world title after 28 years.
"I don't regret anything. I have two World Cup medals at home. Tell me how many people in India... a handful or very few people have two World Cup medals at home. If you look back at your career from a negative perspective, then you can say I could have played 100 Tests, wish I could've captained more. There's no end to desires and wants," Gambhir told CNN-News18.
"The first World Cup of any sort that I played, I had missed U14, U19, a 50-over World Cup, we won that. Fortunately, I won the first World Cup in the 50-over format also. I was able to score runs in that final. How many people have that? 10000 runs are not important, how many big tournaments you've won, how many medals do you have at home, that is more important," Gambhir, who played 58 Tests, 147 ODIs and 37 T20Is, said.
Gambhir also admitted that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's absence will be a significant challenge for the team but their Test retirement has also opened the door for others to step up and take responsibility.
Rohit and Virat announced their Test retirement within a week ahead of India's upcoming five Test match series against England which is scheduled to start from June 20.
"I think, when you start the game and when you want to finish, it's a very individual decision. No one has the right. Be it the coach, the selector, be it anyone in this country has any right to tell someone when to retire and when not to retire. So it comes from within," Gautam Gambhir said.
Since Rohit and Virat announced retirement from the longest format of the game, there are chances that Shubman Gill will lead the side.