India won just one of their last 8 Tests to end all possibility of WTC 2025 final qualification.
India batting legend Sunil Gavaskar has slammed the BCCI and the Indian team management after it lost the BGT 2024-25 series 1-3 to Australia. With this loss, India also lost the hold of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which it held for the last decade.
Gavaskar was also angry after disappointing performances by Indian players on the tour Down Under and said that players need to show their commitment to the sport and called for an end to star culture in Indian cricket.
Gavaskar also mentioned that players should make themselves available for every series, and if someone is not committed to playing, then he shouldn’t be considered for selection.
“I think the next 8–10 days are crucial for Indian cricket to take a good, honest look at itself. Most importantly, the star culture has to end. Total commitment to Indian cricket is non-negotiable. Players must make themselves available every single time unless there’s a genuine medical emergency. If someone isn’t fully committed, they shouldn’t be considered for selection,” Gavaskar told India Today.
“We don’t need players who are partly here and partly elsewhere. It’s time to stop pampering anyone. The recent results have been disappointing—we should have been in the World Test Championship final but didn’t make it," he added.
India was primed to qualify for their third straight World Test Championship final in a row after it won the Bangladesh Test series 2-0. However, a surprise 0-3 Test series loss to New Zealand at home, made their path WTC final harder.
In the end, Rohit Sharma-led Indian team could only manage to win one of the last eight Tests, which ended its chances of winning another ICC trophy.
Many fans and former players were irritated by India's inability to qualify for the third WTC final in a row, and Gavaskar urged the BCCI to put a stop to it and implement severe accountability mechanisms.
“The cricket board needs to stop acting like admirers and put their foot down. They must tell the players that Indian cricket comes first. It’s either a full commitment to Indian cricket or other priorities—you can’t have it both ways. If Indian cricket is your priority, only then should you be selected," Gavaskar concluded.
India will have a chance at winning an ICC trophy when it travels to Dubai for the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 tournament in February.