Former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes that bygone cricketer Gautam Gambhir still has some potential left in him and he will be a perfect bet if included in the Indian squad for the ICC Champions Trophy to be held in London from 1 June 2017.
“Gambhir deserves a place in the national team for the forthcoming Champions Trophy,” Ganguly said at an IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Rising Pune Supergiant at Eden Gardens on Wednesday.
The 35-year-old left-handed batsman is currently placed second in top-scoring batsmen of the IPL 2017. Gambhir has smashed 411 runs from 11 matches so far in the season, with a highest knock of 76 runs (not out) against Gujarat Lions.
“He (Gambhir) is in excellent touch. I am truly elated to have watched Gambhir’s dedication even after playing the game for so many years,” Ganguly added, praising the spirit of the Indian opener.
Ganguly also shed the light on Gambhir’s utilisation in the absence of opener KL Rahul, who was ruled out of the IPL 2017 due to an injury well before the season’s beginning.
“More importantly, KL Rahul is yet to regain fitness following injury. So, it will be high time for the selectors to think over Gambhir for the Champions Trophy,” the Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president added.