KKR vs SRH: "Always rated Gautam Gambhir as..." - WV Raman's bold take on KKR mentor possibly becoming India head coach

Former India opener WV Raman spoke highly about the tactical thinking and cricketing brain of Kolkata Knight Riders' mentor Gautam Gambhir.

Raman's comments came in the light of Gautam Gambhir helping the Knight Riders reach their 4th final in the Indian Premier League history. The 2-time champions are currently gearing up for a mouth-watering clash against Sunrisers Hyderabad in an IPL final. The venue is also quite familiar for Gambhir and KKR.

It was at the MA Chidambaram stadium in Chennai that Gautam Gambhir led the East Indian outfit towards their maiden league title. 12 years later, fate once again brought him to the same situation he was in before but this time he will be watching over from the dugout.

What did WV Raman say about Gautam Gambhir?

In an exclusive interview with Revsportz, WV Raman spoke about a lot of things from Shreyas Iyer's captaincy to India's next head coach. Raman was also asked about what he thinks of Gautam Gambhir's tactical thinking of the game and if he is the favorite to take up the Indian head coaching role.

In his response, Raman admitted that he has always rated Gautam Gambhir very highly as an IPL captain. Raman noted that Gambhir has always remained an intense player even before he was made captain of the Knight Riders. That Gambhir has tasted so much success in the IPL circuit, is a result of his hard work and his tactical prowess.

WV Raman also stated that in life anything can happen so he doesn't want to rule out the idea of Gambhir becoming the head coach of India.

"I’ve always rated Gautam Gambhir as one of the best captains in the IPL. Not only when I saw him operate as a captain for KKR in 2014, or prior to that, he’s always been intense. He’s always been tactically good. The fact of the matter is that he has devoted enough time as a part of the leadership group in franchises."

"The success is something that comes to him purely because of his own efforts. Whatever happens in the future, who knows how things will pan out or what is likely to happen," WV Raman said via Revsportz.

WV Raman wishes all the best to Gambhir if he becomes India's head coach

WV Raman concluded the segment by stating that Gautam Gambhir has always been committed to cricket. That he doesn't care about what people think about him for his on-field behavior and he is certainly not a 'yes man'. Raman thinks Gambhir is absolutely right in his stance and considers it to be a great quality.

Since Raman knows Gambhir personally, he wishes the latter best of luck if he ends up becoming the next India coach.

"He is someone who is really intense and who is really committed to cricket. He doesn’t really make a genuine effort in trying to behave the way others want him to. He is his own man which is not a fault at all, which is really a good quality to have. I’ve known him personally, and if he goes on to take up this [India] role, I would like to wish him all the very best," Raman concluded.