NEWS
Follow UsIndia couldn’t have asked for a better coach than Gautam Gambhir to replace the departing Rahul Dravid. Not only does Gambhir have the experience of leading India in the past, but also is one of the most sought-after coaches in the Indian Premier League.
His appointment led to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) finally breaking their trophy drought and lifting their third IPL title. Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri hailed Gambhir’s appointment, calling him ‘refreshing’.
"He's contemporary, he just had a great season in the IPL," Shastri said on Gambhir on the ICC Review. "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,” he added.
Gambhir’s ‘no-nonsense’ policy also sets him apart from the rest of the pack. Shastri insists that the upcoming few months will be interesting for Indian cricket.
"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."
But the former Indian head coach warned Gambhir about ‘player management’. Several top coaches have failed to keep the dressing room afloat in the past, and Gambhir’s fiery nature could play an interesting role in the player-coach relationship.
"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."
"It's a question of just understanding his players as quickly as possible," Shastri said. "What their strengths are, what kind of human beings they are and what kind of temperaments do they have. What are their personalities. A lot goes behind the scenes to understand a human being.
What works in Gambhir’s favour is that he is one of those modern-day coaches who has shown a vivid understanding of the youngsters at his disposal, as seen in his stints at both Lucknow Super Giants and KKR. But working on the national team brings about a different kind of pressure.
"I think that will be his most important task, which I think again should not be a problem because he's contemporary. He's seen these guys from the outside, he's dealt with a lot of guys who might have played with KKR as well and for Lucknow [Super Giants] when he was there.
"And he's been around the circuit, the moment he finished cricket and that was not too long ago, he still is around, plays a lot of the legends cricket as well."
Gambhir’s first assignment will be the tour to Sri Lanka, which starts on July 27 (Saturday), with the first of the three T20Is in Pallekele.
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