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According to Sanjay Bharadwaj, Gautam Gambhir, the newly appointed head coach of the Indian team, possesses a remarkable talent for bringing out the best in players during tough times.
Bharadwaj believes Gambhir’s fearless approach to challenges could instill a winning culture within the national team. Gambhir, a former World Cup-winning opener, took over from Rahul Dravid following India’s recent T20 World Cup victory in Barbados.
“Gautam has the quality to bring the best out of his players. The job of a top coach is precisely that. Gauti knows his players well and can bring the best out of them, using them effectively.
“I feel, as a coach, he has the capability to take India to the pinnacle. He can do the job honestly without any bias and bring the best to Indian cricket. The (ODI) World Cup title which has eluded us for the last 13 years would now start coming,” Bhardwaj told PTI Videos on Wednesday.
Bharadwaj, known for nurturing talents like Amit Mishra, Unmukt Chand, Nitish Rana, and numerous Delhi Ranji players, emphasized that Gambhir excels in tackling challenges and achieving success in every endeavor he undertakes.
“He always played with a challenge. Since he was 10, he had the winner’s mentality. He always played to win. He never thought that he could lose a match. He was never in doubt.
“Gauti always had a sharp and astute observation power. Gautam has the ability to take up any challenge and then succeed in it,” the veteran coach said about Gambhir, who played a crucial role in India lifting the ODI World Cup in 2011 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Bharadwaj recalled how Gambhir foresaw Rohit Sharma’s resurgence during a phase of struggle in the early days of his career, highlighting Gambhir’s knack for foreseeing and fostering talent.
“He has played with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the past. Long back, he had once given his ‘Man of the Match’ to Virat. That shows his golden heart. He told me long back that Rohit Sharma will become a great player one day. This was when Rohit was not among the runs and needed some encouragement. His observation about Rohit proved accurate,” he said.
Bharadwaj noted that Gambhir remains steadfast in his decisions, firmly standing by them when he believes they are correct.
“If Gautam ever feels that something is right for the team, he will be firm on that decision. Gautam plays to win. He knows what to do and focusses on having a set team combination. He doesn’t believe in favouritism; the only thing that is his favourite is cricket.”
Bharadwaj observed that Gambhir trusted his instincts by supporting Kuldeep Yadav and Navdeep Saini, who played crucial roles for KKR in the IPL 2024 season.
“He could pick players like Kuldeep Yadav and Navdeep Saini (in the India team setup). They are his product. He also followed his instincts on West Indian all-rounder Sunil Narine (during IPL 2024). His observation and cricketing acumen were always outstanding,” he added.
Gambhir contributed significantly to two triumphant World Cup campaigns: the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011. Bharadwaj’s advice to his ward is, “be honest in your approach”.
“With his batting, he won two World Cups for India in 2007 and 2011. As a player, you helped India win two World Cups, then propelled KKR to three IPL titles. You have a habit of taking up challenges and conquering them; be honest in your approach and repay the country’s faith in you,” he said.
