India overlook Gautam Gambhir's dispute with Delhi

Gambhir may be better suited to Tests, but can shine at the fifty-over World Cup (©GettyImages).

India are set to take Gautam Gambhir to the World Cup despite the opener having fallen out of favour in recent months.

The opener last played for the Men in Blue in a Test against England in the summer, a series which saw the Three Lions escape with a 3-1 victory.

Related articles

He was not selected for the ODIs, but has been given hope after being retained as Delhi captain.

After falling out with the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) in February when its chief curator Venkat Sundaram accused him of using abusive language, there were fears that the dispute would affect his chances with India.

Chances with India

While India have been accused of being too easily influenced by smaller cricket boards within the country, in this case, Gambhir is being given a chance to impress selectors ahead of the ICC World Cup in Australia and New Zealand next year.

Gambhir has also made a name for himself in the Indian Premier League (IPL), captaining Kolkata Knight Riders.

BCCI’s hands tied

In truth, the Board of Cricket Control for India (BCCI) have enough to be dealing with even without Gambhir and Delhi’s conflict.

In the last week, the BCCI have become involved in a venomous spat with the West Indies, who prematurely withdrew from the series between the two.

Unsurprisingly, that is taking up much of India’s focus; although a series with Sri Lanka is now set to go ahead instead, the collapse of the West Indies tour has not been forgotten, with India set to sue for damages and lost earnings.

Keen eye

Nonetheless, India’s selectors will retain a keen eye on Delhi, with their squad featuring a number of hopefuls, including Ashish Nehra, Unmukt Chand, Rajat Bhatia, and veteran Virender Sehwag.

Of all Delhi’s potential Indian call-ups, Gambhir is the most vital. He has established himself as one of India’s finest openers of the last decade, winning the ICC Test Player of the Year award in 2009, as well as being ranked the number one Test batsman in the same year.

Overlooking Gambhir because of his feud with Delhi would be severely detrimental to India’s chances at the World Cup, and it would be a huge shock if that were a risk they are willing to take.