Being the head coach of the Indian cricket team and the mentor of a franchise in the Indian Premier League (IPL) isn’t similar at all, with the former always being demanding, and having so much pressure of expectations. And it could be the same situation for Gautam Gambhir.
There is a balanced mix of young and senior players for the Sri Lanka series, as he looks to share a good and strong partnership with new captain Suryakumar Yadav.
Gautam Gambhir did a great job for Knight Riders in the IPL 2024, having taken them to their third title of the league with his mentorship, and since then everyone has grown an expectation among themselves towards the former Indian opening batter.
‘Gautam Gambhir’s job is to…’- Former India all-rounder
The former chief selector of the Indian cricket team, Sandeep Patil has shared his advice to the new head coach of the national team, as he feels that more than coaching the side, the biggest challenge for him will be giving suggestions on their skills.
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‘I don’t think his (Gautam Gambhir’s) job is to coach the Indian team. His job is to help the Indian team.’ The former Indian player Sandeep Patil expressed to PTI videos in an exclusive interview. ‘That’s how it works at the top level. You need player management. That will be the challenge for Gambhir.’
The very first assignment for the Delhi-born will be the limited-overs series in Sri Lanka, which includes the three-match T20I series and the three-match ODI series.
‘He has done it and I am sure he will continue to do the same with the Indian cricket team.’ Patil made the statement while being on the sidelines of an event organized by Shrachi Rajasthan Tigers.
The Indian all-rounder was part of the blue brigade that won the 1983 World Cup under the captaincy of Kapil Dev. He desired to see Gautam Gambhir extending his outstanding form of IPL into the international stage.
‘Gambhir had done an exceptional job as a coach for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL. I hope that he continues to help the Indian team in the same way.’ The Maharashtra-born hoped.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma stepped down from the shortest format of the game, following their World Cup-winning campaign in the last month, as Patil believes that both these veteran players should look to continue representing the Indian team in the rest two formats.
‘Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are still doing extremely well and there is no question of an Indian team without them. I wish the Indian team all the best whatever they are playing and whatever tournament they are playing, they are bound to do exceedingly well.’ The 67-year-old noted.
‘Surya comes from Mumbai and is a very dear friend of mine. He has been given the captaincy and he deserved it. I wish him all the best.’ Patil told.
He also spoke about the significance of the team’s participation and competitiveness across different sports disciplines.
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‘Like every Indian, I wish the Indian cricket team good luck. I am happy that I am part of 1983 and the progress the Indian team has made over the years has been commendable.’ Sandeep Patil concluded the conversation. ‘Cricket has changed over time, so has coaching and the approach to sports. We need to ensure India can become a contender in all the sports and all avenues of sports.’
India’s T20I series against Sri Lanka will be played in Kandy before they move to Colombo for the ODI series.