NEW DELHI: Former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir is set to embark on his maiden assignment as the head coach of the Indian cricket team with a three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka.
His appointment has generated significant hype and expectations, fueled by his successful stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he, being a mentor, played a pivotal role in the team’s trophy-winning campaign earlier this year.
However, Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian cricketer and renowned commentator, has downplayed the importance of Gautam Gambhir’s role and the overall impact of a coach on a team’s success.
Manjrekar highlighted the Indian coaches who were at the helm during the country’s victories in four World Cups, emphasizing that a team’s success is primarily determined by the players themselves, rather than the coach.
Manjrekar’s comments aim to temper the hype surrounding Gambhir’s appointment and urge people to avoid drawing direct correlations between a coach’s presence and a team’s triumphs.
He believes that the focus should be on the strength and capabilities of the Indian cricket team itself, rather than attributing too much significance to the coach’s role.
“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,” the former Indian cricketer wrote on X.
His appointment has generated significant hype and expectations, fueled by his successful stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League (IPL), where he, being a mentor, played a pivotal role in the team’s trophy-winning campaign earlier this year.
However, Sanjay Manjrekar, a former Indian cricketer and renowned commentator, has downplayed the importance of Gautam Gambhir’s role and the overall impact of a coach on a team’s success.
Manjrekar highlighted the Indian coaches who were at the helm during the country’s victories in four World Cups, emphasizing that a team’s success is primarily determined by the players themselves, rather than the coach.
Manjrekar’s comments aim to temper the hype surrounding Gambhir’s appointment and urge people to avoid drawing direct correlations between a coach’s presence and a team’s triumphs.
He believes that the focus should be on the strength and capabilities of the Indian cricket team itself, rather than attributing too much significance to the coach’s role.
“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,” the former Indian cricketer wrote on X.
Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as the head coach of the Indian team begins with the tour of Sri Lanka, where India will play three T20Is and three ODIs.
Shubman Gill has been appointed as the vice-captain to Suryakumar Yadav for the T20I series, while he will serve as the deputy to Rohit Sharma in the ODIs.
As the Indian team begins this new chapter under Gambhir’s guidance, Manjrekar’s comments serve as a reminder to maintain a balanced perspective and avoid placing undue emphasis on the coach’s role.
