Gautam Gambhir’s time as the Indian cricket team’s coach had a shaky beginning. The Men in Blue lost the ODI series 0–2 after thrashing Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series. The 42-year-old Gambhir will eventually lead India to new heights, according to Jonty Rhodes, who collaborated with him at the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2023.
On the fringes of the Pro Cricket League’s pre-launch in New Delhi, Rhodes—who will represent the league as its brand ambassador—spoke about India’s new head coach. The Pietermaritzberg native remembered how, following captain KL Rahul’s injury during the season, Gambhir—the LSG’s mentor in the 2023 Indian Premier League—became increasingly involved in the decision-making process.
It is interesting because, as you may recall, I only worked with GG [Gambhir] for one season at LSG as his mentor, and KL [Rahul] had a severe thigh strain midway through the competition. GG was therefore very much more from the perspective of a mentor. Become far more active in the decision-making process, as per Rhodes’ statement cited by India Today.
“And I am aware of his fervour. He expects players to perform at a level that he has never attained or will never reach, but you know, he looks for perfection both on and off the pitch. Thus. I believe that, given his pregnancy, he is not going to be forgiving of anyone unless absolutely necessary,” he continued.
Rhodes also mentioned Gambhir’s fervour for winning matches for his team. The former pointed out that with a change in leadership, some adaptation is necessary, and this takes time.
Given the calibre of talent at Gambhir’s disposal, Rhodes predicted that the player’s coaching career would only grow stronger.
“All he wants is excellence.” He doesn’t want the team to win for his record or his personal accomplishments, really. You can see that he has a strong desire to win for every team he plays for by the way he captains and bats. He’s so engrossed in the game, so passionate,” Rhodes remarked.
Every time there is a change, in my opinion, whether it is in the management or coaching staff, or in the leadership from the captaincy perspective, something has to be adjusted. We know India has the strength, skill pool, and depth of talent to enable him to get started and build up speed in his coaching career very rapidly once they get established,” the 55-year-old continued.
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Later this month, on September 19, India will visit Bangladesh for a two-match Test series to resume play. Kanpur will host the second game after Chennai hosts the first. The two teams will play three Twenty20 Internationals (T20Is) in Gwalior, Delhi, and Hyderabad, respectively, after the red-ball series.
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