What Gautam Gambhir Can Bring To Table As India Head Coach?

The reports of former Indian cricketer Gautam Gambhir to be appointed as India's head coach are circulating through the cricket fraternity on the back of his recent successful stint with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as a mentor. With the possibility of the southpaw at the helm of things, the article dives deep into what Gambhir can bring with him while fulfilling the duties of Indian head coach.

Hyderabad: When a marquee tournament like the T20 World Cup is set to commence, usually there is a discussion around the team’s preparation or the chances of the team winning the World Cup. But, this time around, speculation about appointment of the next India head coach is ripe amongst the Indian fans as the current head coach Rahul Dravid is set to step down from the post two months later.

According to the reports circulating in the media, Justin Langer and Ricky Ponting were in the fray to take on the coaching duties. Both of them rejected the offer openly, but the BCCI cleared that they hadn’t approached any of them.

Now, after weeks of speculations, there are reports that Gautam Gambhir is likely to be the next India head coach. He never had a proper job as a coach but worked as a mentor for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in 2022 and 2023 taking them to the playoffs in both seasons. This time, he was the mentor for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and the team won the silverware. In case, he gets named as India's head coach, the following are the things that he can bring to the table.

• Backing and improving young talent

Gambhir has a knack of backing and grooming the youngsters in the team and he as shown it as a captain and mentor as well. Harshit Rana and Vaibhav Arora were with KKR in 2023 as well but Gambhir’s arrival improved them by miles. Harshit took only five wickets last year with a bowling average of 29.40 and a strike rate of 20.40. This edition, his average came down by nine runs while his strike rate witnessed a dip of seven. Ramandeep Singh was another name backed by the mentor.

The norm was also evident when he captained Delhi in the domestic circuit. In the 2014/15 season, Gambhir backed Navdeep Saini and the pacer returned captain’s faith by taking 16 wickets from five matches with a bowling average of 15.50 and a strike rate of 40.8. In the 2015/16 season, Nitish Rana debuted under his leadership and amassed 557 runs from seven matches with an average of 50.63.

With Gambhir as head coach, he can back fresh legs and nurture them.

• Has aggression & ready to take tough decisions

With some of the players ending the twilight of their careers due to their age, the 42-year-old will have to handle the transition period as well. Considering the kind of character he is, he won’t refrain from taking any tough calls necessary to ensure a smooth transition on the national side. The current KKR mentor is always known for being vocal about his views so he can also challenge the star culture in the Indian team.

Aggression is another factor which can work in favour of the team. When Kohli was leading the Indian team, his attacking mindset oozed through the players and the Indian stars were very vibrant on the field. Now, when Gambhir joins forces with Kohli, the aggressive duo can boost the team to give their best.

Notably, the duo had their share of rivalry in the IPL. But their recent statements indicate that both have put their differences aside and will work in cordially for Men in Blue.

• Lack Of Coaching Experience

Gambhir’s coaching tenure is expected to bring multiple positives, but there are some negatives to it as well. The former Indian opener has never worked as a coach for any team. He has been a mentor for the LSG in 2022 and 2023 and returned to the KKR side as a mentor this season. In LSG, he had Andy Flower as the head coach of the team while during his role in KKR, Chandrakant Pandit was the head coach.

Now, he will be the head coach and a lack of experience might turn out to be a hindrance for him.

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