Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar recently came up with a bold statement regarding Indian cricket coaches, stating that it is Indian cricket, not the coaches, that has taken the country to win four World Cups. His remarks came at a time when Gautam Gambhir is going to take over as head coach for India’s tour of Sri Lanka after the end of Rahul Dravid’s tenure.
India won the recent T20 World Cup in the Caribbean to mark the end of Dravid’s coaching stint with the national team. Previously, it was missing ICC titles—the final of the World Test Championship and ODI World Cup against Australia last year.
Now that Gambhir has taken on a new role, the fans are waiting with bated breath for the kind of impetus he is going to bring into Team India. Manjrekar’s post on X, earlier known as Twitter, though has created a confused situation among the fans.
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Manjrekar wrote, “No coach, Lalchand Rajput, Gary Kirsten & Dravid. Coaches when India won WCs in 1983, 2007, 2011 & 2023. It’s really about Indian cricket, not who the coach is. Time we stop thinking there is a direct correlation.”
No coach, Lalchand Rajput, Gary Kirsten & Dravid. Coaches when India won WCs in 1983, 2007, 2011 & 2023.
It’s really about Indian cricket, not who the coach is. Time we stop thinking there is a direct correlation.— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) July 27, 2024
Gambhir’s first head coach assignment will be the T20I series in Sri Lanka. It will begin with Suryakumar Yadav leading the Indian team against the hosts in the first of three matches at Pallekele.
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Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid shared an emotional and heartfelt message with Gambhir, welcoming him for his new role. In a video message posted by BCCI on X, Dravid described the head coach position as “the most exciting job in the world.”
𝗣𝗮𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗻 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗹𝗮𝘀𝘀 & 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲! 📝
To,
Gautam Gambhir ✉From,
Rahul Dravid 🔊#TeamIndia | #SLvIND | @GautamGambhir pic.twitter.com/k33X5GKHm0— BCCI (@BCCI) July 27, 2024
Rahul Dravid’s message was one of goodbyes and guidance. He admitted that there were expectations and pressures attached to the position but added, “The most important people for me in the team are the players, the staff, and the fans. If I can get the best out of them, that’s when this team could be special.”
Dravid’s words brought to the fore the challenges Gambhir would have to face and were an encouragement in so much as he brought out the fact that leading Indian cricket to further glories would be a collective effort.
As Gambhir starts his coaching career, spectacles will be on how he can bring to life the said experience and strategic acumen in building on what predecessors have put in place. His relationship with key players like Suryakumar Yadav and the style of leadership will be under scrutiny as India hopes to cement her position in cricketing history on the world scene
