Gambhir is still that kid who hates to lose, reveals childhood coach Bhardwaj

Indian men’s cricket team’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is still a 12-13-year-old child who only wants to win, said his childhood coach, Sanjay Bhardwaj. Bhardwaj, who trained Gambhir from the age of 12 and saw him play for India, and win the ODI and T20 World Cup, is now seeing him coach the same side and his observation for his ward as a coach is the same as it was for him as a player. 

"Gautam Gambhir is like an innocent kid even today,” Bhardwaj told former India U-19 World Cup winner from Delhi Manjot Kalra on his YouTube channel. 

“He has no malice. People think he is arrogant, but that is his attitude towards winning. I used to make him play matches after nets and he would cry after losing matches. He did not like losing even back then," recalled the Guru Dronacharya Award for 2019. 

Talking about Gambhir’s moves as a coach, Bharadwaj, who runs the LB Shastri Club in Delhi said, "Gautam Gambhir will not go after the technical aspects. Because at that level, there is no need for technical improvement.”

He also added that the Indian coach’s job is not to teach technique but rather to instill a winning attitude in a player. “You are there because you are good enough technically. Gambhir will work on the tactical aspects. Gambhir's job will be to boost morale and inject confidence into a player who may not be too sure about himself," added Bhardwaj. 

Revealing that the Indian coach has been in touch with him for the last 33 years, Bhardwaj explained the reasoning behind Gambhir asking players like Rohit, Rinku, Surya and Gill to bowl on Team India’s Sri Lanka tour, even as regular bowlers are available. 

"Gambhir had told Sunil Narine three months ago that he doesn't want bowling from him and that he should work on his batting. If Gambhir feels a player can win matches, he will back him to the hilt. That's his biggest trait. He has the attitude that a coach needs to have – fearlessness and a habit of winning,” Bhardwaj concluded. 

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