Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir has said that Sai Sudharsan will bat at no. 3 in the one-off Test against Afghanistan, slated to be played from Saturday (June 6) in New Chandigarh. Sudharsan has been a reliable batter for India, having recently further strengthened his credentials by producing sparkling performances in the recently concluded Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026, where he clubbed 710 runs in 16 innings. 

"Honestly, Sai (Sudharsan) hasn’t got a fair chance. He has only played a handful of Test matches. He started his Test career in England. He has had a phenomenal IPL as well. We got to give him a fair chance. I still believe he hasn't got a fair shot," Gambhir said at the press conference. 

India head into the Test against Afghanistan on the back of a 2-0 whitewash against South Africa that had disturbed their rhythm in the build-up to the World Test Championship final. However, Gambhir asserted that the side is brimming with optimism.

"We are always very optimistic. Till you have the opportunity to qualify for the World Test Championship final. You are always optimistic because we know the kind of quality we have and the kind of talent we have. I don't think there is any reason not to believe that we cannot win the World Test Championship, and that is what not only we but everyone sitting in the dressing room believes," Gambhir said.

"Yes, we can have one odd bad series here and there, but we know the kind of talent and how much hunger we have in the dressing room," he said.

Gautam Gambhir also broke his silence on wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, who was recently removed as India's vice-captain in the longest format.

“See, responsibility is only for playing for India. The rest of everything else is a by-product. Captaincy, vice-captaincy is all byproduct. When you start playing for India, you don't think about being a vice- captain from the day one. You think about doing good for India. So going from one to the other is only a by-product. And ultimately, everyone is judged on performance. Be it me, be it the support staff, be it any player. Ultimately, that is what international cricket is all about. And as far as Rishabh is concerned, we will expect him to be the way he is,” Gambhir said.

“It's not like we will tell him that you have to curb your game. But in international cricket, it is very important to play the situation. It is important to read the situation," Gambhir added.