Former India player turned veteran commentator Aakash Chopra has said that Gautam Gambhir won’t be a bad option as India’s next coach. However, he added that the move might not work if there are many established senior players in the team as well. Notably, Rahul Dravid’s current tenure as the Indian head coach will end at next month’s T20 World Cup. And, reports suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has approached Gambhir to take over the responsibility as well.
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra said, “Not a bad choice, there is no doubt about that, because he is a straightforward person. He knows how to manage and build a team. I really rate him high when it comes to the auction. However, there will be no auction for the Indian team. Gautam Gambhir, the coach, is a very strong personality.”
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“When there is a transition, a new captain is coming, then yes. However, if the team has a lot of seniors already, I will be a little wary because Gauti’s style of working is almost like a strict father. When the father is strict, the children have to be a little careful,” he further added. “When you have very senior players in the team, you are looking for a big brother who keeps his hand on their shoulders and doesn’t try to impose himself. However, that’s not going to happen with Gautam. It’s simple for Gautam – my way or the highway. So things might not go in your favor every time in a senior group.”
However, Aakash Chopra also shared Gautam Gambhir’s authoritative approach might not work with the senior players as well. Gambhir led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to IPL titles in 2012 and 2014 and then he mentored the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to the playoffs in the last two editions of the IPL and then he took KKR to the top-of-the-table finish this season as a mentor.
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“It is a slight concern. You cannot ignore it totally. It feels good if runs are being scored consistently. The only good thing is that India’s starting group games are not going to challenge you much. Form is important in T20 cricket. So it’s good that there are quite a few easy games among the group-stage matches – easy games at the start and a practice game. Form seems to be a concern at the moment but I won’t be surprised if Rohit Sharma’s bat starts firing once the World Cup starts,” Aakash Chopra concluded.
