Workforce India, set to enter a transition section within the subsequent three years, will accomplish that below their youngest-ever Indian coach — 42-year-old Gautam Gambhir.
Greater than a month after guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to an IPL title, the Board of Management for Cricket in India (BCCI) appointed the previous India opener as their new head coach on Tuesday. Gambhir’s three-and-a-half yr tenure will start with the limited-overs tour to Sri Lanka, which begins on July 27.
Gambhir’s appointment has largely come alongside anticipated traces after it grew to become clear that the highest brass of the BCCI had been eager on him taking cost of the nationwide facet on the again of his stellar marketing campaign with KKR. Aside from Gambhir, former India opener WV Raman was the lone candidate within the fray. And after the Cricket Advisory Committee interviewed the 2, the BCCI on Tuesday revealed that Gambhir has been picked because the unanimous selection to switch Rahul Dravid, whose tenure ended with India’s T20 World Cup triumph.
India is my identification and serving my nation has been the best privilege of my life. I’m honoured to be again, albeit sporting a unique hat. However my purpose is identical because it has at all times been, to make each Indian proud. The boys in blue shoulder the goals of 1.4 billion Indians… pic.twitter.com/N5YyyrhXAI
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) July 9, 2024
“I’ve at all times taken pleasure whereas donning the Indian jersey throughout my enjoying days and it’ll be no totally different after I take up this new position. Cricket has been my ardour and I look ahead to working intently with the BCCI, Head of Cricket –VVS Laxman, the assist employees, and, most significantly, the gamers, as we work in direction of attaining success within the upcoming tournaments,” Gambhir mentioned.
BCCI secretary Jay Shah introduced Gambhir’s official announcement on X. “Gambhir has been a fierce competitor and an excellent strategist. We consider he’ll deliver the identical tenacity and management to his position as Head Coach. His transition to the position of Head Coach is a pure development, and I consider he’ll deliver out one of the best in our gamers. I’m assured that he’ll encourage and lead the workforce to new heights. His imaginative and prescient for the way forward for Indian cricket aligns completely with our targets, and we’re excited concerning the journey forward,” Shah mentioned in a press release.
It’s with immense pleasure that I welcome Mr @GautamGambhir as the brand new Head Coach of the Indian Cricket Workforce. Fashionable-day cricket has developed quickly, and Gautam has witnessed this altering panorama up shut. Having endured the grind and excelled in numerous roles all through his… pic.twitter.com/bvXyP47kqJ
— Jay Shah (@JayShah) July 9, 2024
Not like his predecessors, Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid, Gambhir remains to be in his early days of teaching. Nevertheless, what ought to give him confidence is how effectively he managed to place collectively a title-winning squad at KKR in his first yr as mentor.
After urgent the transition button in Checks earlier this yr and with the retirement of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Ravindra Jadeja in T20Is, Gambhir could have a new-look workforce to work with within the shortest format. And going ahead, India are set to give you a complete plan to deal with the transition in Checks and ODIs in addition to the core group are 35 years or older.
And with increasingly kids set to come back in throughout all codecs, Gambhir’s tactical acumen is one thing India are banking on. Proper via KKR’s title-winning marketing campaign, what stood out concerning the workforce was how ready they had been even in a format the place the margin for error is minimal.
Those that labored with him at KKR say his man-management expertise are second to none, which ought to turn out to be useful when he’s incharge of the nationwide facet.
🚨 NEWS 🚨
Mr Gautam Gambhir appointed as Head Coach – Workforce India (Senior Males).
Mr Gambhir will take cost from the upcoming away collection towards Sri Lanka the place Workforce India are set to play 3 ODIs & 3 T20Is beginning July 27, 2024.
All The Particulars 🔽 #TeamIndia | @GautamGambhir
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 9, 2024
And even on the tactical entrance, Gambhir is thought to make daring choices.
Earlier than Rohit Sharma challenged MS Dhoni within the IPL, it was Gambhir who led the best way, profitable two titles as captain with KKR in 2012 and 2014.
As for his teaching technique, there are sufficient indications that Gambhir will probably be extra within the mould of Shastri, who needed the workforce to play high-intensity cricket. Proper from his enjoying days, Gambhir is thought to be a fierce competitor, who has hardly ever sported a smile within the center. It has remained a much-discussed matter, even prompting India all-rounder R Ashwin to deliver it up throughout a YouTube interplay with Gambhir throughout this IPL.
“Generally when folks discuss… ‘he doesn’t smile’,” Gambhir started. “He doesn’t love. He’s at all times intense. He’s at all times grumpy. He’s at all times strolling on the sting. He’s outdated. He at all times has his sport face on. Individuals don’t come to look at me smile. Sadly, folks come to look at me win. That’s the sort of career we guys are in. I can’t assist it,” Gambhir mentioned.
There are admirers of Gambhir’s fashion of functioning. “As soon as the sport or the coaching ends, he has seldom interfered in what the participant does. He gave the gamers freedom. Furthermore, he’s somebody who will give gamers sufficient backing and confidence. On the top-level, it’s all about the way you handle the gamers,” is how somebody who labored with Gambhir at KKR mentioned.
It’s one thing Ashwin echoed not too long ago at his e-book launch in Chennai. “Gambhir is a really misunderstood individual. It’s all about notion. He’s a fighter. The most important challenge with many people is that we give hero standing to somebody in our thoughts and neglect about everybody else. It is a sport, not a film narrative. There aren’t any heroes and villains. Gambhir is a competitor. His need and starvation to win is unbelievable. I’ve huge respect for him,” Ashwin mentioned.
For now, Gambhir’s speedy focus will probably be to win over the dressing room. Doing that will probably be half the battle gained.