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Brendon McCullum Praises Gautam Gambhir’s Leadership Ahead Of India-England T20I Series
By CricShots - Jan 21, 2025 2:59 pm
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Suryakumar Yadav and India are all set to host England in a five-match T20I series starting on January 22 at the iconic Eden Gardens in Kolkata. The series opener will not only showcase top-tier cricket but also put the spotlight on India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir. Gambhir, who has faced his fair share of challenges recently, has received support from England’s head coach, Brendon McCullum, who praised the former cricketer’s leadership ahead of the series.

Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir

Gambhir’s tenure as head coach has been far from smooth. India’s recent losses in Test series against New Zealand and Australia have raised questions about his leadership. The defeat to New Zealand marked India’s first-ever home Test series loss in 12 years, while the Border-Gavaskar Trophy loss to Australia broke nearly a decade of dominance.

However, despite these setbacks in the longest format, India has performed well in the shorter formats, especially T20Is, both at home and abroad, with the only notable setback being a loss to Sri Lanka in the ODI series, ending a 27-year unbeaten streak in the format.

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Brendon McCullum, while acknowledging these challenges, expressed confidence in Gambhir’s abilities. Having worked with him in the past, McCullum highlighted Gambhir’s leadership skills and his capacity to bring the best out of his players.

“What I will say about Gautam Gambhir is that I’ve worked with him before. He’s an outstanding leader and a strong leader of men. In the time that he’s had in leadership roles, he’s excelled. He’s just getting started with this team, but I have no doubt he will get the best out of the talent available,” Brendon McCullum said in an interview with India Today.

Brendon McCullum
Brendon McCullum

The England head coach added that Gambhir’s leadership would be key to India’s success moving forward and that England would need to counter India’s strengths with their own playing style.

Meanwhile, McCullum also confirmed that England’s wicketkeeper-captain, Jos Buttler, would not be keeping wickets during the T20I series. Instead, Buttler will focus on captaincy from the field, while Phil Salt will take over the wicketkeeping duties. McCullum explained that this change would benefit Buttler, allowing him to have more direct communication with the bowlers.

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“It’s a positive thing for us, as it gives Jos the opportunity to have the last say with the bowler and build that relationship,” he said. Brendon McCullum further praised England’s depth and flexibility in the squad, confident that the team is well-equipped for the challenges ahead in the series.