Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has opened up with his views on India’s recent two-run victory over Japan in the one-off T20I at the Sano International Cricket Ground in Sano.
Writing his column for the Mid-Day, Gavaskar stated that the performance against Japan should be on the Indian players’ minds as they make it to the Asian Games 2026 event, issuing a stern warning ahead of the showpiece event in Japan.
“The game against Japan was a good pinch for the Indian team, where they were one good strike away from being beaten. That should keep them in fine fettle when they begin their campaign (Asian Games). They will have to be a bit watchful as the pitch is going to be uncertain, and the outfield with its softness is something where the sliding stop can be a bit of a concern too,” Gavaskar wrote.
Further, Gavaskar asserted that the Indian women’s team, led by Harmanpreet Kaur, winning the gold medal at the Women’s Asian Games 2026 event has put a lot of pressure on the men’s team.
“The women’s cricket team brought the first gold and their wins in the Asia Cup, and now the gold at the Asian Games has put some pressure on the men’s team to emulate them in getting the gold. There are also moments when a medal is lost by the merest of margins, and the tears of the athlete are also the tears of the entire nation’s sporting community,” he went on to write.
Additionally, the former Indian skipper also shared his views on the outgoing chief selector Ajit Agarkar. Notably, the former pacer’s stint as the chairman of selectors is coming to an end on October 4 and he is not seeking an extension.
“There is, of course, the honour of being the Chairman of the national selection committee, but it also comes with a target mark on the back. Like with umpiring, wicketkeeping and now, commentary, the nine good things that have been done will be forgotten and the one so-called error will be magnified a hundred times and discussed over and over again,” said Gavaskar.
“The thing that most people tend not to be aware of is that many decisions could be forced on the Chairman by the other selectors, but since he has to front the media, he is the one who gets the blame. So, the mischief-makers could be the other selectors, but it’s the Chairman who is singled out for criticism,” he concluded.
