Former Indian cricketer, Gautam Gambhir, replaced Rahul Dravid, as the head coach of the Indian team recently. His tenure has begun on a mixed note, as India faced a series defeat during the Sri Lanka tour. While they were whitewashed by a dominant Indian T20I unit, the ODI series saw India succumb to a 0-2 series defeat. Meanwhile, Virender Sehwag, in a recent discussion, opened up on the head coach role. Sehwag thought that the responsibility was not as demanding as it looked from the outside.
“I don’t think it’s a challenging role because there are other professionals involved too. The team recently won the T20 World Cup and the players know their roles. With Gambhir coming in, players will have clarity. That will be an added advantage. The challenges will be less for Gambhir and more for players, since now they would feel that after the T20 World Cup, they have to win the Champions Trophy, or the WTC final or the World Cup. But of course, Gambhir is around to help them all,” stated Sehwag in an interview with Amar Ujala.
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The veteran cricketer-turned-commentator further shared why he would not accept a coaching role with the Indian team, as well as admitted that he would be more than open for a stint in the Indian Premier League (IPL) as well.
“Not with the Indian cricket team, but if the IPL presents me with a coaching opportunity, I can surely have a look at it. If I become India head coach, then I’ll have to return to the same routine which I went through for 15 years. Playing for the Indian team requires you to stay on the road 8-9 months a year. If I become the India head coach, staying away from my kids would be my biggest challenge. I will not be able to give time to my children. But yes, if there is a coach or mentor role available in the IPL, I can take it up,” concluded Sehwag.
However, Sehwag was the mentor for the Kings XI Punjab (now Punjab Kings) from 2016 to 2018 after playing for the franchise in 2014 and 2015.
