We still haven’t played the perfect game – Gambhir

Gambhir backs Rohit and Kohli, explains Rahul's selection

Gautam Gambhir, the Indian head coach, has defended Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli's recent form, stating that the team evaluates players based on their impact, not just statistics.

Regarding Rohit, Gambhir said, "You evaluate from the runs; we evaluate from the impact… If the captain puts up his hand first, then there is nothing better than that for the dressing room."

When asked about Kohli's struggles against leg spin, Gambhir responded, "When you play 300 games, you will end up getting out to some of the spinners… When you've played 300 ODIs, you will eventually get out to certain kind of bowlers, and that's okay."

Gambhir also explained the team's preference for KL Rahul over Rishabh Pant as wicketkeeper, stating, "KL averages 50 in one-day cricket… In a team sport, numbers don't matter, batting positions don't matter, it's the impact that matters."

Gambhir on India's semifinal win and areas for improvement

Despite winning the semifinal with 11 balls to spare, Gambhir felt there was room for improvement, stating, "See, in international sport, you want to keep improving… And we still haven't played the perfect game… We still have one more game to go. Hopefully, we can play a perfect game."

Gambhir praised Mohammed Shami for his performance in the semifinal, stating, "He's brilliant… He's a world-class performer… He's phenomenal in the way he trains, the way he practises, the amount of bowling he does in practice sessions… He's shown that by making a comeback after one and a half years."