Gambhir said Rohit and Kohli are still hungry to perform, and they add immense value to the dressing room, especially before a high-pressure tournament like the Champions Trophy.

“I think both Rohit and Virat, they add so much value to the dressing room. They add so much value to Indian cricket as well. They’ve got to play a massive role in the Champions Trophy. And I’ve said it before as well: those guys are so hungry; they want to play for the country. They have the passion to play for the country and deliver for the country,” Gambhir told Star Sports during the Naman Awards – BCCI’s annual function to celebrate the top performers of Indian cricket.

After ordinary outings against New Zealand and Australia, both Rohit and Kohli turned up to play in the Ranji Trophy after a decade. But unfortunately, they could not get back among the runs. Rohit was out for 3 and 28 in the Mumbai vs J&K match. Kohli, on the other hand, was bowled for 6 in front of a huge crowd in the Delhi vs Railways match.

But India’s top scorers of the last ODI World Cup will look to turn things around in the format that they have ruled for more than a decade now.

India were runner-ups in the last ODI World Cup and the last Champions Trophy. Both the tournaments are played in an ODI format but Gambhir said they are vastly different as there is no room for an error in the Champions Trophy.

“Champions Trophy is a completely different challenge as compared to the 50-over World Cup because literally every game is a make-or-break, so you can’t stop anywhere in this tournament. So hopefully, we’re going to start off really well because ultimately, if you want to go on and win the competition, you have to win five games,” he added.

India start their campaign against Bangladesh on February 20 but the bug-ticket match will be against Pakistan on February 23.

“Look, we don’t go to the Champions Trophy thinking that the 23rd is the most important game for us. I think five games, all the games are important. The mission to go to Dubai is to win the Champions Trophy, not only win one particular game. But yes, if that is one game in the middle of winning the Champions Trophy, we’re going to try and take it as seriously as possible. And more importantly, I think when two countries, India and Pakistan, play against each other, obviously the emotions are really high, but ultimately the contest remains the same,” Gambhir said.