'No player indispensable, not even Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma': Sunil Gavaskar hails Team India's depth

NEW DELHI: India cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has praised the incredible depth of Indian cricket following the team's unbeaten run to the 2025 Champions Trophy title, achieved even without ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah. Reflecting on the triumph, Gavaskar made a bold claim that no individual player is indispensable in the current Indian lineup — not even veteran batters Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Writing in his column for Mid-Day, Gavaskar remarked, "The triumph in the Champions Trophy and that too without Bumrah also emphasises that nobody is indispensable in this game. In the past too, India has won without Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, but there’s not the slightest doubt that their presence in the team gives the team an even more invincible look."
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Gavaskar lauded Team India’s resilience after bouncing back from a dismal Test series defeat against Australia to clinch victory in the England T20Is and ODIs, followed by the Champions Trophy. He noted how the team’s ability to triumph without their key players showcased the immense talent pool in Indian cricket.
"Very seldom has a team depended on one individual like the Indians depended on Jasprit Bumrah in Australia, and his absence from the bowling attack to defend the small target set by India tilted the scales Australia’s way," Gavaskar said. "For the Indian team to bounce back the way they did with comprehensive wins in the ODI and T20 series against England that were played on the team’s return to India tells volumes of the talent that Indian cricket has."

The cricketing great also acknowledged the support from overseas players, who admitted that India would have emerged victorious regardless of the location, dismissing claims that the Dubai setting played a decisive role. "It is good to see so many overseas cricketers now coming up and saying India would have won anyway wherever they played and not only because they were stationed in Dubai," Gavaskar added.
Gavaskar’s remarks reflect a sense of confidence in the current Indian setup, asserting that while legends like Kohli and Rohit undeniably elevate the team, the core strength lies in the depth and talent of the entire squad.