India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has made his stance clear on resuming cricketing ties with Pakistan, calling for a complete freeze in bilateral matches—including those at neutral venues—until cross-border terrorism ends.
Speaking at an event hosted by ABP in New Delhi on Tuesday, Gambhir stated, “My personal answer to this is absolutely no. Till all this (terrorism) doesn’t stop, there should not be anything between India and Pakistan.”
The statement comes in the wake of the deadly Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, where 26 people were killed. Since the incident, the Indian government has taken strong diplomatic steps, including suspending the Indus Waters Treaty, shutting the Attari border, and scaling down ties with Pakistan.
India and Pakistan have not played a bilateral cricket series since 2013. The two sides only meet in multi-nation tournaments like the Asia Cup or ICC events. Their last face-off was during the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai, and future meetings could potentially happen in upcoming global tournaments like the women’s ODI World Cup or the 2026 men’s T20 World Cup.
Gambhir emphasized that decisions regarding bilateral ties lie with the Indian government and BCCI, adding, “Matches will keep happening, movies will be made, singers will continue to perform, but nothing comes close to losing a loved one.”
On being asked about Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s place in the Test squad for the England tour, Gambhir clarified his role, saying, “The coach only selects the playing XI. It is the selectors who pick the squad.” He supported the view that as long as senior players are performing, they should continue, stating, “If you perform, then why 40, you can jolly well play till 45—who’s stopping you?”
