This Former Cricketer Might Replace India Coach Gautam Gambhir!

Sharing his opinion on 'India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir may face axing' speculations, former Pakistan cricketer Basit Ali recently named Indian legend to be his replacement. According to Basit Ali, former middle-order star and NCA coach VVS Laxman is a strong contender to replace Gautam Gambhir.

VVS Laxman is currently in South Africa accompanying T20 side as acting coach. While Gautam Gambhir is in Australia with senior players preparing for the Boarder Gavaskar Trophy. The news of action by the BCCI against Gautam Gambhir surfaced after team lost test series vs New Zealand at home.

VVS Laxman's decision to send Tilak Varma at No. 3 proved to be a master's move as he scored a match-winning century. Basit Ali noted that such strategic decisions have placed Laxman in a favourable position to potentially replace Gambhir.

India's Thrilling Victory

In the third T20I match, India secured an exciting 11-run victory against South Africa. Tilak Varma's maiden century was instrumental in this win, overshadowing Marco Jansen's impressive late-game efforts. With this win, India leads the four-match series 2-1.

Varma scored a remarkable 107 runs off 56 balls, hitting eight fours and seven sixes, helping India reach 219 for six. Jansen responded with an aggressive 54 off just 17 balls, including four fours and five sixes, but South Africa fell short at 208 for seven.

Key Performances

The match seemed one-sided after Heinrich Klaasen was dismissed with South Africa needing 53 runs from the last 14 balls. However, Jansen's first T20I half-century nearly turned the game around for South Africa.

Arshdeep Singh played a crucial role by dismissing Jansen leg-before with only three balls remaining, ensuring India's victory. Despite Jansen and Klaasen's efforts, Verma's unbeaten century had already set a challenging target for South Africa.

"VVS (Laxman) taught me a thing today. He is the next hot, hot, hot candidate for coaching. He did not send Suryakumar to bat at No. 3 as he wanted to maintain the left-right combination. If Australia tour does not go well for Gambhir, VVS has emerged as a strong option. The decision to not send Surya at No. 3 is one of those calls that attract attention and end up changing matches," Basit Ali commented on YouTube.

This thrilling encounter highlighted Laxman's strategic acumen and Varma's batting prowess. As India looks forward to future matches, these performances will be key talking points among fans and analysts alike.