(AFP Photo)
With the revamped Indian team preparing for their white-ball series against Sri Lanka, attention is focused on the newly appointed head coach, Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir, who replaced T20 World Cup-winning coach Rahul Dravid, is recognized for his aggressive leadership style. He recently achieved success in the IPL, guiding the Kolkata Knight Riders to a triumphant season.
Now transitioning to the international stage, Gautam Gambhir has received support from India’s white-ball vice-captain, Shubman Gill. Gill praised Gambhir’s leadership, highlighting his sharp and crystal-clear communication within the camps.
“We have had just two net sessions so far, and this is my first time of working with him (Gambhir). But in the two sessions, the things he has spoken to me, what I found out is that his intent and communication is very clear – like what he wants out of the players and in us going about our business, his communication remains very clear,” said Gill to reporters.
There was considerable discussion about appointing Shubman Gill, who led India to a 4-1 T20I series victory in Zimbabwe, as the new vice-captain for the Sri Lanka tour. However, for Gill, this role change doesn’t alter his responsibilities as a batter; instead, it motivates him to elevate his performance further.
“As a batter, it doesn’t change much. When I am batting out there, I still need to perform and need to be able to win matches for my team and my country – that doesn’t change. But when you are on the field, you need to make a bit more decisions than any other player, which is a major difference.”
“My performance in T20Is before this year’s T20 World Cup didn’t go well as per my expectations. Hopefully, going forward in this cycle, where we would be playing 30 to 40 T20 games, the endeavour will be to get better as a batter, and also in terms of team performance.”
The batter also acknowledged that the strong rapport he has developed with his new T20I captain, Suryakumar Yadav, inspires him to set higher goals and strive for greater success with the Indian team.
“The way of thinking and manner of doing things is almost the same in every player. I did play under Surya bhai in the T20Is in South Africa last year, so the understanding and communication between the two of us are very similar. It’s something you will get to see in the matches too.”
The first T20I of the three-match series between India and Sri Lanka is set for Friday, marking the start of Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach.
