# Rahane urges Gambhir and Gill to back underfire India star 2026-08-23T04:31:17+00:00 | Sports | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet Former India Test captain Ajinkya Rahane has publicly urged head coach Gautam Gambhir and ODI captain Shubman Gill to give an underperforming India batter an extended run in the side. Rahane said he believes the player will "deliver" if given consistent backing. "He has the talent and the temperament. Just needs the team's faith," Rahane told a cricket news channel, without naming the player. The plea comes after a string of low scores in recent ODIs has raised questions about the batter's place in the XI. Rahane's intervention, made during a promotional event for the upcoming Ranji Trophy season, is seen as an unusual but heartfelt appeal from a former teammate. India's next ODI assignment is against South Africa on October 6 in Chennai. ## Indian Opinion Analysis Rahane's public appeal is rare and signals that the dressing-room mood may be affecting a player who was once India's Test vice-captain. The unnamed player in question is presumed to be a batter who has struggled for consistent runs in recent white-ball series. Gambhir and Gill now face a decision that carries weight beyond this series: backing a known quantity could stabilise the middle order, while a demotion might fracture confidence further. The next ODI against South Africa on October 6 in Chennai will be watched closely for team selection clues. ## Coverage - sports.ndtv.com The outlet frames Rahane's advice as a simple call for patience, without adding its own judgement on the player's form or the coach's policy. This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Tags: Ajinkya Rahane, Gautam Gambhir, India cricket team, Shubman Gill Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/rahane-urges-gambhir-and-gill-to-back-underfire-india-star/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/rahane-urges-gambhir-and-gill-to-back-underfire-india-star/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes. How this brief was made: an AI model read the report linked above and wrote this summary and analysis, which were published automatically. Published briefs are sampled every hour by an automated quality check; the editor verifies its findings and approves corrections, and corrected briefs carry a dated correction line. We do no original reporting. Methodology: https://indianopinion.org/ai-use-policy/