With India earning their second title in the Men’s T20 World Cup in 2024, Rahul Dravid’s coaching tenure ended. The Board of Control for Cricket In India (BCCI) has recently selected a new head coach of the national team- Gautam Gambhir, who has expressed how honorable it would be for him to serve the tri-color after currently helping Kolkata Knight Riders becoming the third-time IPL champions.
With India ending their 11-year drought of an ICC trophy, they aim to add more to the cabinet in the upcoming seasons. The Cricket Advisory Committee of the board- which consisted of Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape, and Sulakshana Naik have made the appointment.
It’s a huge honor to serve the team, and it’s a high-profile job too, which always finds the individuals under so much attention. The veteran has done it for the franchises, where he has been an individual who makes crystal clear decisions and knows how to bring the best out of the players.
‘Gautam Gambhir always had a sharp and astute observation power’- Sanjay Bhardwaj
Gautam Gambhir has a huge contribution to Indian cricket, as he has two vital knocks in the history of Indian cricket, whether it’s during the final of the Men’s T20 World Cup 2007 against Pakistan, or that vital 97-run knock during the 2011 Men’s ODI World Cup final against Sri Lanka.
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The childhood coach of the former India batter Sanjay Bharadwaj believes that Gambhir can take the team to the pinnacle, as he will remain the head coach across formats for three and a half years.
He also feels that Gautam Gambhir always has a very sharp mind with good observation power, as he revealed the prediction he made on the India captain Rohit Sharma during his rise in the initial stage of his career.
‘He has played with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the past. Long back, he had once given his ‘Man of the Match’ to Virat. That shows his golden heart.’ The childhood coach of Gautam Gambhir, Sanjay Bhardwaj remarked in a conversation with PTI. ‘He told me long back that Rohit Sharma will become a great player one day. This was when Rohit was not among the runs and needed some encouragement. His observation about Rohit proved accurate.’
The first assignment for Gautam Gambhir will be the white-ball series in Sri Lanka, which starts on July 27. Even though Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli- the two batting icons of the team are expected to be rested for the series, as they have already called their time from the shortest format of the game after lifting the trophy in the Caribbean.
Bharadwaj also looks back at the time when the former left-handed opening batter of the side gave his ‘man of the match’ award to Virat Kohli in the past.
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‘If Gautam ever feels that something is right for the team, he will be firm on that decision. Gautam plays to win.’ The coach remarked. ‘He knows what to do and focuses on having a set team combination. He doesn’t believe in favoritism; the only thing that is his favorite is cricket.’
He will aim to build a new young team for the future his first biggest test will be the Champions Trophy 2025 which is scheduled to take place in coming February, while there will be the challenges of the home T20 World Cup in 2026, or the ODI World Cup 2027 in South Africa, or the two World Test Championship (WTC) finals.