Crediting Gambhir for Kanpur Test win is foot-licking of highest quality: Gavaskar
New Delhi: Former Indian cricketer and commentator Sunil Gavaskar has asserted that the credit for India's recent Test victory against Bangladesh in Kanpur should be attributed to captain Rohit Sharma, rather than newly appointed coach Gautam Gambhir. Gavaskar remarked that under Sharma's leadership, the Indian team has adopted an aggressive style of cricket, suggesting the term "Gohit" to describe this bold approach.
In a column for Sportstar, Gavaskar expressed his disappointment about Gambhir receiving recognition for the team’s strategic changes in the Kanpur Test, calling it “foot-licking of the highest order.”
"While the England batting approach changed completely under the new regime of Ben Stokes and McCullum, we have seen over the last couple of years that Rohit has been batting like this and encouraging his team to do so as well. Gambhir has only been coaching for a couple of months, so attributing this approach to him is foot-licking of the highest quality. Gambhir himself hardly ever batted in this fashion like McCullum used to do. If any credit is due, it is solely to Rohit and nobody else," Gavaskar wrote.
Additionally, the 75-year-old also praised the refreshing nature of the Indian team's approach, crediting the International Cricket Council (ICC) for the introduction of the World Test Championship. He suggested that without the incentive of points on offer, the team may have not have batted in the same manner. “The much-maligned ICC deserves every bit of applause for changing the perception towards every Test match by creating the World Test Championship," he mentioned.
He further expressed admiration for Rohit’s fearless strategy during the match, proposing that the term "Gohit" should replace traditional descriptors to better capture this innovative style. He wrote: “Instead of using the words this-ball or that-ball, I would suggest using the skipper’s first name, Rohit, and term it the “Gohit” approach. Hopefully, brainier people will come up with a trendier name for this rather than the lazy option of calling it after “Bazball.”
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Rupee starts 2026 on negative note; falls 11 paise to 89.99/ USD in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee started the new year on a negative note and depreciated 11 paise to 89.99 against the US dollar in early trade on Thursday weighed down by persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said the rupee entered 2026 with both challenges and cushions, while global uncertainty persists, India’s strong macroeconomic parameters and ample forex reserves provide stability.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 89.94 against the US dollar, then lost some ground and touched 89.99, registering a fall of 11 paise over its previous close.
On Wednesday, the last trading session of 2025, the rupee settled at 89.88 against the US dollar.
"While the calendar has changed, volatility is likely to persist. Under Governor Sanjay Malhotra, the RBI appears comfortable allowing the rupee to adjust with market forces, while remaining actively present to smooth excessive moves and maintain orderly conditions," CR Forex Advisors MD Amit Pabari said.
Progress on the paused India–US trade deal remains a key upside risk and could deliver a meaningful confidence boost if concluded, Pabari said. "For now, USD/INR is expected to trade in the 89.30–90.20 range in the near term," he said, adding that a sustained break below 89.30 could open the path toward 88.50.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.09 per cent higher at 98.32.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 0.78 per cent at USD 60.85 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 194.38 points higher at 85,414.98, while the Nifty was up 47.55 points at 26,177.15.
Foreign Institutional Investors offloaded equities worth Rs 3,597.38 crore on Wednesday, according to exchange data.
