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'Aap Sirf Numbers Dekhte Ho' - Gautam Gambhir Shuts Down Rohit Sharma's Criticism

Arnav Chopra

Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma (Source: @SPORTYVISHAL/X.com, @ICC/X.com)Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma (Source: @SPORTYVISHAL/X.com, @ICC/X.com)

It was a defining victory for India in the recently concluded semifinal of the Champions Trophy 2025 against Australia. Chasing 265 for the win, India finished the game with 11 deliveries to spare as Virat Kohli proved to be the star of the show.

Gautam Gambhir Backs Rohit Sharma's Selfless Intent

India chased down the target comfortably, courtesy of Virat Kohli's 84 and decent contributions from Shreyas Iyer and KL Rahul in the middle order. Thanks to them, India have now advanced to the final of the prestigious tournament.

Skipper Rohit Sharma, who started off positively, scoring 28 off 28 deliveries, was eventually trapped in front of the stumps by Cooper Connolly in the 8th over of the game. He tried to sweep the left-arm spinner but completely missed the delivery, resulting in his dismissal. Sharma then went for the review but unsuccessfully took it back with him.

However, during the press conference after the game, Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir shut down a journalist who questioned Rohit Sharma's approach with the bat.

When asked about Rohit's game plan, Gambhir was adamant about the right-hander's tempo in this contest. He backed skipper's intent and mentioned that this kind of approach is necessary for the side.

"If your team plays with this kind of tempo, it just gives a very good signal to the dressing room that we want to be absolutely fearless and courageous. You evaluate with the stats, we evaluate with the impact,."

Gambhir then pointed out the fact that journalists and fans always look at numbers and averages, which don't always work well in the team's dressing room, who value players' approach and mindset in the game rather than just statistics.

"As journalists, as experts, you only look at the numbers, not the averages. But as a coach, as a team, we don't look at numbers or averages. If the captain puts his hand up first, nothing is more interesting than that."

Additionally, he praised Rohit's selfless approach, mentioning that he is always the first one to put his hand up in the room, which is what a captain should always do.

India To Play Final On 9th March

After this comprehensive victory, India, who have knocked Australia out of the tournament, will go on to play the final against the winner of the second semifinal that will be played between South Africa and New Zealand on the 5th of March at Lahore's Gaddafi Stadium.

The final, which is slated to be played on the 9th of March, is now confirmed to be held at the same venue, the Dubai International Cricket Stadium, where India have played all their games in this edition of the Champions Trophy 2025.