(Source X)
Following the conclusion of Rahul Dravid’s tenure with the T20 World Cup victory, Gautam Gambhir has been appointed as the new head coach of the Indian cricket team. Dravid’s term ended on a high note, as India clinched the T20 World Cup title for the first time in 17 years, marking the end of an 11-year ICC trophy drought.
Gambhir is poised to start his coaching role with the upcoming T20I and ODI series. His appointment quickly made waves, particularly with his decision to name Suryakumar Yadav as the new T20I captain. While Hardik Pandya was initially considered a likely successor to Rohit Sharma, concerns about his fitness led the management to choose SKY for the role.
During his first net session with the squad, Gambhir demonstrated a focused and engaged approach. He also took the time to converse with the younger players, offering his insights and feedback. Shubman Gill, who spoke at the pre-match press conference, shared his reflections on the valuable lessons learned from his initial interactions with Gambhir.
Ravi Shastri, one of India’s most successful coaches known for leading the team to two Test series victories in Australia, commented on Gambhir’s appointment during an ICC Review. He praised Gambhir as a contemporary figure who, with his recent IPL success, is expected to bring fresh perspectives and ideas to the team.
“He’s contemporary, he just had a great season in the IPL. I think he’s the right age where he’s young, he’ll come with fresh ideas. He knows most of the players, especially in the white-ball format, having been part of teams in the IPL. So I think it’s refreshing,” Shastri said, speaking with host Sanjana Ganesan on the most recent episode of The ICC Review.
“And we know with Gautam, he’s a no-nonsense guy. He’ll have his ideas as well. And the good thing for him is he’s got a mature team. He’s got a settled team, a mature team. I think even though you might think you’re mature, you might benefit from some fresh ideas. So I think it’ll be interesting times” he further added.
Shastri emphasized that effective man-management will be a crucial element of Gambhir’s coaching approach. He expressed confidence that Gambhir possesses the qualities and skills needed to advance the team and drive their success as the new coach.
“Obviously, player management becomes the key as a coach. So it’ll be interesting to see how he goes. I think he’s got the tools, he’s got the goods for the job and he’s got the experience” Shastri further added.
Gautam Gambhir’s first challenge as the head coach of India will be the upcoming series against Sri Lanka. However, his most critical assignments will be the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the WTC 2023-25 final. Additionally, building a solid core for India’s T20I team will be a significant task, especially in the wake of the retirements of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Before heading out for the Sri Lanka series, Gambhir held his inaugural press conference as India’s head coach, where he outlined his long-term vision for the team. He also addressed the importance of man-management, using Jasprit Bumrah’s absence from this series as an example.
Gambhir’s recent success with KKR was instrumental in the BCCI’s decision to appoint him as head coach. He has assembled his own support staff, including Abhishek Nayar as batting coach, Ryan ten Doeschate as fielding coach, and Morne Morkel as bowling coach, though Morkel has yet to join the team. T Dilip has been retained as the fielding coach.
