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Former India coach Ravi Shastri has expressed his views on Gautam Gambhir‘s recent appointment as India’s head coach. Notably, Gambhir has been appointed as the new head coach of Team India, succeeding Rahul Dravid whose tenure ended with India’s triumphant victory in the T20 World Cup 2024 held in the USA and West Indies. Gambhir’s first challenge in his new role is the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka, featuring three T20Is and three ODIs. The cricketing world is abuzz with speculation about how Gambhir will fare in this significant role.
Ravi Shastri shares his take
Shastri praised Gambhir’s contemporary outlook, highlighting his recent success in the Indian Premier League (IPL). The cricketer-turned-commentator believes that Gambhir’s young age and fresh ideas make him an ideal fit for the head coach role. He noted that Gambhir’s familiarity with most of the current Indian players, particularly in the white-ball format, will be beneficial.
“He’s contemporary, he just had a great season in the IPL. I think he’s the right age where he’s young, he’ll come with fresh ideas. He knows most of the players, especially in the white-ball format, having been part of teams in the IPL. So I think it’s refreshing. And we know with Gautam, he’s a no-nonsense guy. He’ll have his ideas as well. And the good thing for him is he’s got a mature team. He’s got a settled team, a mature team,” Shastri said while speaking to the ICC Review.
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Importance of player management
Shastri emphasized the critical role of player management in Gambhir’s new position. He pointed out that even experienced players can benefit from fresh ideas and that understanding the strengths, temperaments, and personalities of the team members is crucial. The Mumbaikar is confident that Gambhir’s recent involvement in cricket will help him in this regard.
“I think even though you might think you’re mature, you might benefit from some fresh ideas. So I think it’ll be interesting times. Obviously, player management becomes the key as a coach. So it’ll be interesting to see how he goes. I think he’s got the tools, he’s got the goods for the job and he’s got the experience It’s a question of just understanding his players as quickly as possible. What their strengths are, what kind of human beings they are and what kind of temperaments do they have? What are their personalities? A lot goes behind the scenes to understand a human being. I think that will be his most important task, which I think again should not be a problem because he’s contemporary,” shastri added.
Familiarity with the players
Shastri also highlighted Gambhir’s extensive experience with many of the current Indian players due to his involvement in the IPL and legends cricket. This familiarity, according to Shastri, will aid Gambhir in effectively managing the team and implementing his strategies.
“He’s seen these guys from the outside, he’s dealt with a lot of guys who might have played with KKR as well and for Lucknow (Super Giants) when he was there. And he’s been around the circuit, the moment he finished cricket and that was not too long ago, he still is around, plays a lot of the legends cricket as well,” concluded Shastri.
