Not thinking about comeback to Indian team: Gautam Gambhir

Says he is focused on IPL

KKR skipper Gautam Gambhir. (BCCI)

 

 

Mumbai: Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar feels Gautam Gambhir looks good for a national recall after a string of good scores in the ongoing IPL but the Kolkata Knight Riders captain does not want to look too far ahead as "comebacks are only by-products" of good performances.

"At the moment, it's about IPL and I am concentrating on getting runs and help KKR win. All the rest, comebacks or no comebacks, are only by-products," said the left-handed batsman at the pre-match media conference against defending champions Mumbai India at the Wankhede Stadium.

The Delhi Ranji Trophy captain had appeared last for India in the fifth and final Test match at the Oval in August, 2014, a match that India lost by an innings and in which he made 0 and 3, and has never been picked for the country in any of the three formats since. In fact in his last four Test innings for India, he failed to reach double figures in three of the innings.

For KKR, who are leading the table with four wins from five games, Gambhir is the leading run-getter with a tally of 237 from five games.

"My primary job is to score runs and make KKR win and that's what I am trying to do. Rest, I don't think too much. That's how I have always played my game. When I play for Delhi in Ranji Trophy, I try to help Delhi win and when I play IPL for KKR, I aim to make KKR win," he elaborated.

In Thursday's game, rival captain Rohit Sharma looms as a major threat and while praising his counterpart, Gambhir said his side had an equally good attack at his command to execute plans for not only Sharma but also others in the MI line-up.

Rohit cracked 84 not out in 54 balls to power MI past KKR’s challenging score of 187 for 5 when the two teams met earlier this season at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata.

Asked whether the team's re-jigged bowling attack since then can defend a good total, Gambhir said,"It depends, whether we are chasing or batting. Again I said one game doesn't define us. Sometime you need to give credit to the opposition. Rohit Sharma is a quality player and took the game away from us. Let's see, we will try and plan something.

"But we have plans for everyone, not only Rohit, He is a quality player but at the same time we have a quality attack," he said, adding,"We won three games on the trot away from home and hopefully we can continue that tomorrow."