Gautam Gambhir instilled with scary fear before taking India's Head coach role; gets reminded of transition period
Updated - 19 Jun 2024, 01:50 PM
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Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra stated that Gautam Gambhir will face challenges if he becomes the head coach of the men's cricket team. Aakash Chopra noted that many key players, including Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja, are nearing the end of their careers, particularly in T20 cricket.
The Indian cricket team is currently playing in the T20 World Cup 2024 under Rohit Sharma as skipper and Rahul Dravid as head coach. The Men in Blue advanced to the Super 8 stages of the ICC tournament. Rahul Dravid's tenure as head coach will end after the ongoing World Cup in the West Indies and the USA.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will appoint the next head coach in the coming days. Gautam Gambhir is the frontrunner to replace Dravid as head coach. However, WV Raman is also in contention, and his presentation was very impressive and detailed during the interview on Tuesday.
Gautam Gambhir Is The Frontrunner In This Race - Aakash Chopra
In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Aakash Chopra highlighted the challenges Gautam Gambhir would face if he becomes India's next head coach. Chopra noted that Gambhir's tenure would involve managing the transition of several senior players.
"Gautam Gambhir has given the interview. It's been said that it was a virtual interview as opposed to WV Raman, who gave a fantastic presentation. I have just read that. Gautam Gambhir is the frontrunner in this race. It's been said everywhere and we have also understood that," Chopra said.
"I am saying it will be an interesting tenure because you will have to manage the transition here, and that is never an easy thing. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, maybe Ravindra Jadeja, especially their roles in T20s, there are plenty of people who are on the wrong side of 30, 35 to 37, including Ravichandran Ashwin," Chopra added.
The future of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja in T20Is is uncertain after the current T20 World Cup. According to a PTI report, Rohit and Virat are expected to prioritize ODIs and red-ball cricket, especially with nine WTC Test matches scheduled between September 2024 and January 2025.
Very Important Road Map Will Have To Be Prepared - Aakash Chopra
The cricketer-turned-commentator stated that Gautam Gambhir will need to develop a comprehensive plan for India to succeed in several upcoming global events. Chopra noted that Gambhir's tenure would include the 2027 World Cup, the 2027 World Test Championship, and the 2026 T20 World Cup.
"In the next three to four years, when the 2027 World Cup comes, you have to prepare your team for that. There will also be a WTC in 2027 and a T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in 2026. So a very important roadmap will have to be prepared," Chopra further stated.
The former Indian cricketer emphasized that Gautam Gambhir will need to effectively communicate with both retained and released players. Chopra mentioned that managing transitions is challenging and crucial, as it involves maintaining performance levels and clearly explaining decisions to the players involved.
