'Experts and commentators need to...,' Gautam Gambhir on hyping youngsters after couple of good performances

Kolkata Knight Riders mentor Gautam Gambhir thinks that newcomers shouldn't be hyped by experts and commentators after a couple of good performances. The former cricket, who's in race to be India's next head coach, made the comments on former teammate Ravi Ashwin's YouTube channel.

"The graph goes [up and down] in India, and it is not good for a young player. That is where the experts and commentators need to be balanced when it comes to these young players. It is easy for them to get deviated from the hard work and the good things they are doing. Because suddenly when you start talking about a young player doing well, it can backfire for them," he added.

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He made the comments probably on Lucknow Super Giants pacer (LSG) Mayank Yadav being hyped for his express pace and calls of getting him included in India's squad for the upcoming T20 World Cup. The pacer, who regularly bowled north of 150 kmph in the games he played in the IPL 2024, however, got injured and hasn't been selected in the India squad as well.

Gambhir also said that the team selection criteria for Tests and 50-over format should not include performance of the Indian Premier League (IPL). The former batter, however, was okay with T20I team being selected on the basis of IPL.

"India's T20I side should be selected from IPL (performances)," Gambhir said. "For 50-over format, it should be selected from Vijay Hazare, and your Test side should be selected from your first-class cricket, red-ball cricket. As simple as that. If you start selecting people for 50-over format or red-ball cricket from an IPL competition, you are making a lot of shortcuts for a lot of these young players to not focus on red-ball cricket or 50-overs format, and you are walking on the edge."