KL Rahul has the complete backing of Gautam Gambhir for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025

India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, addressed some key issues on Wednesday regarding the team's lineup for the upcoming Champions Trophy. He confirmed that KL Rahul will continue as the first-choice wicketkeeper, despite growing calls from fans and experts to replace him with Rishabh Pant, who has been sitting in the reserves. Gambhir stood firm on his support for Rahul, emphasizing his skill set and leadership qualities behind the stumps, crucial for India's balance during the tournament. Additionally, Gambhir responded to criticism over the decision to send Axar Patel ahead of Rahul at No. 5 in the batting order during the recently concluded ODI series against England. The decision raised eyebrows as Rahul, known for his consistency with the bat, was relegated lower down the order.

Gautam Gambhir explained the rationale behind the move, stating that the intent was to maximize the team’s balance and make tactical adjustments based on the match situation. He stressed the importance of flexibility and adaptability in modern-day cricket, where match conditions often demand unconventional choices to outmaneuver opponents. Despite the criticism, Gambhir reaffirmed his belief in Rahul’s role as a key figure in the Indian lineup and emphasized that the coaching staff’s decisions were made with the team’s best interests in mind ahead of the Champions Trophy.

KL Rahul was backed ahead of Rishabh Pant for the ODI series against England as India sought to maintain continuity in their lineup. However, Rahul struggled to replicate his match-winning performances from the 2023 ODI World Cup, where his consistency had given India the confidence to place him over Pant. Initially, Rahul was pushed down to No. 6 in the batting order for the first two matches, which led to calls from some veteran cricketers for Pant to take that position, especially if India were planning to adjust Rahul’s batting role.

In the final ODI against England, Rahul was sent in at his original No. 5 spot and responded with a useful knock of 40 runs off 29 balls in India’s dominant 142-run victory in Ahmedabad. This knock came as a relief for the team management and reassured the fans about his form. Following his performance, India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, confirmed Rahul as the team’s first-choice wicketkeeper for the upcoming Champions Trophy, reaffirming his trust in the Karnataka batter’s abilities.

"KL is our No 1 wicketkeeper and this is what I can say at the moment. Rishabh Pant will get his chance but at the moment it is KL who has done well and we cannot play two wicketkeeper-batters," stated India head coach Gautam Gambhir during the press conference. 

Gautam Gambhir supported KL Rahul as India’s primary keeper-batter for the upcoming Champions Trophy but refrained from confirming his batting position, despite criticism over the recent strategy. While Rahul was pushed down the order in earlier matches, his return to No. 5 in the final ODI against England was met with a solid performance, but Gambhir chose not to settle on his batting role just yet. The Indian head coach also kept silent on specifics about Jasprit Bumrah's back injury, which has ruled him out of the Champions Trophy. Although the pacer had been a part of the provisional squad, his fitness issues led to his replacement by Harshit Rana. Gambhir avoided discussing any further details, leaving fans and experts speculating about the star bowler's recovery and India’s plans in the absence of their key fast bowler.