Uncompromising. That’s how one would characterise Gautam Gambhir. A quality shared by nearly every other Delhi native.
A lifetime opportunity for retired cricketers, Gautam Gambhir was named head coach of the Indian squad on July 9, confirming countless suspicions as fact. However, coaching in this country is not simple. If you make a choice that is detrimental to the team’s success, you will either be hailed as the next Chappell or wind up in the same history as someone like Kirsten, Fletcher, Shastri, or David.
Cricket fans have an ingrained belief that Gambhir possesses an Australian mentality, that of a champion. Even he has acknowledged that he doesn’t enjoy losing on the playing field. Having said that, it is necessary to discuss the 75 and 97 from 2007 and 2011. It’s not that he personally guided India to a few World Cups; rather, it’s the attitude of despising defeat, even when you witness Sachin and Sehwag fall to a curly-haired Malinga at the Wankhede.
Gambhir has become well-known in pop culture thanks to his frank, objective, and often brutal viewpoints. Meme lords have also made him a frequent presence on social media.
Messi or Ronaldo? Rashford. Is Virat or Sachin the finest white-ball cricket player in India? Yuvraj. Even when the odds are against him, you cannot make him change his mind.
The younger generation would compare him to a football team manager, cheering on eleven guys from the sidelines. He had a straight, rarely non-Gambhir face. Why is he acting so intensely, one could ask? He’s not even trying to play. merely a mentor, correct? No, he’s teasing. in his thoughts. arousing every last piece of sixth sense, most likely without the need for injections of caffeine or coconut water.
The famous statement “Leadership is more off the pitch than on it” is attributed to Sourav Ganguly, who captained Gambhir’s first team as an international player. As the captain of the Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012 and 2014, Gambhir took it seriously and used it twice in Dada’s den, Calcutta. It took him ten years to return to the series as a mentor, and that is why Calcutta had to wait until a few days before the 2024 edition.
They were playing for nothing more than the grand finals, according to a video that KKR posted on his first day as their mentor. The boys certainly lived up to expectations since even Gambhir became emotional and may have even shed a tear or two in the changing room upon realising his ambition.
The core of Gambhir is his no-nonsense demeanour. He’s had tremendous success in the IPL because of that. Now that Rahul Dravid is no longer with the Indian team, will the same mentality be effective?
There is still time for him to earn the title of The Wall’s replacement because he needs to emulate David by playing a lengthy inning. But wait, has he previously done that? Indeed. Recall the 2009 Napier innings, in which he batted 436 deliveries for his 137, an innings that is still not fully acknowledged. However, it suits Dravid, who in that match had a somewhat more patient knock in terms of strike rate (28.18 compared to Gambhir’s 31.42).
We can’t compare, but there’s always pressure to outperform your predecessor, and in situations where there’s a lot of pressure, Gambhir has frequently retaliated rather than merely resisted. Additionally, he is enjoying every pleasure of fine foods paired with the finest sides and accompaniments.
To put it another way, Gambhir is expected to get his wish to have his KKR teammate Abhishek Nayar serve as his deputy. In order to give the incoming head coach more freedom to assemble a team and steer it in the direction he desires, the BCCI is doing everything within its power.
However, the well-received move can have unintended consequences. It is commonly known that he fell out with Virat Kohli back in 2013. A decade later, there was a furious brawl during the LSG vs. RCB match. One should be positive about two Delhi boys working in tandem for India, even though it won’t be shocking if there is a cold war within the team. Envision their efforts being focused in a single direction. a fierce individual on the field and an extremely intelligent mind.
All the chatter and all the anticipation are still premature for the time being. After the eggs hatch, complete the punditry.
Michael Vaughan has previously forecast that India, who recently won the T20 World Cup, will shortly go on a trophy-collecting binge. The first major objective for the 42-year-old-led Indian team will be the forthcoming Champions Trophy and World Test Championship Final in 2025. Victories in South Africa, Australia, and Sri Lanka might be the first steps towards reaching that goal.
The head coach would be conscious of the expectations that would arise, as well as the pressure and outside noise that will come with it. But don’t worry. Because, as previously stated, he is capable of resistance and retaliation.
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