Indian fans got a glimpse of Gautam Gambhir as the team's new head coach as the fomer batter fielded questions in his first press conference since being announced into the post. Gambhir and chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar spoke about the decisions that have been made over the past couple of weeks leading up to the upcoming limited-overs tour of Sri Lanka, including Suryakumar Yadav succeeding Rohit Sharma as the captain of the T20I side and the future of senior players like Rohit, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja among others. Here, we take a look at some key takeaways from the event:

1. Hardik Pandya's fitness was the issue that put him behind in the race for captaincy

The emergence of Suryakumar as a leading candidate to lead the T20I side was a bit of a surprise due to the fact that Pandya had been Rohit's deputy in the format for a considerable amount of time, which includes at the 2024 T20 World Cup that India won last month. However, Agarkar said that they would want a player who would be able to play as many games as possible to lead the team. Agarkar said that Suryakumar is a deserving candidate, he is still the best T20 batter in the world and the players gave good feedback about him as a leader. Agarkar further said that Pandya remains an important player because of the unique nature of skill set. However "fitness is a challenge" and Agarkar said that the think tank would want someone to be available more often than not for them to be leading the team.

2. When Kohli and Rohit stop playing is their call, says Gambhir

Gambhir said that senior batters Kohli and Rohit will play as long as their bodies can allow them to, even if that means an appearance in the 2027 World Cup. Both Rohit, 37, and Kohli, 35, have been picked for the upcoming ODI series in Sri Lanka and Gambhir said that they both have a lot of cricket left in them if they "can keep their fitness". Gambhir said that immediate goals such as the five-match Test series later this year and the 2025 Champions Trophy is enough to keep the senior pair motivated.

3. No trouble between Gambhir and Kohli

This shouldn't come as a surprise considering both Kohli and Gambhir have maintained that their often explosive onfield encounters in the IPL is not a reflection of the relationship they share off it. Gambhir stated on Monday that the public run-ins he has had with Kohli over the years in the IPL carries no value apart from being good for television ratings. Gambhir said that whether he had discussions with Kohli or not is not as important as the fact that they are both now representing India and have to do what is best for the team. He also hailed Kohli as a "thorough professional", a "world-class athlete" and a "world-class player".

4. Ravindra Jadeja remains vital

Eyebrows were raised when all-rounder Ravindra Jadeja's name was absent from the Indian ODI squad for the tour of Sri Lanka. Like Rohit and Kohli, Jadeja had announced his retirement from T20 cricket in the aftermath of India's T20 World Cup victory but unlike them, he was not included in the ODI squad. Agarkar clarified that Jadeja, in fact, has only been rested since he is considered an integral part of the side that is set to tour Australia for five Test matches later this year. It was decided, Agarkar said, to prioritise the games in which Jadeja will be needed after this series and give him adequate rest considering the 35-year-old has had his fair share of injury-induced breaks in the last two years.

5. SKY not being considered for ODIs

Agarkar also said that while Suryakumar Yadav has been made captain in T20Is, he may not find space in the ODI squad, let alone be a contender to captain the team. Agarkar said that with Pant's return, the Indian ODI team have him, KL Rahul and Shreyas Iyer in the middle order and that leaves no space for Suryakumar. Agarkar also confirmed that it is the need to get Rahul, who has hit a purple patch in ODIs and Tests in the last two years, back into the 50-over side which led to Sanju Samson being dropped.