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“It is important to give players freedom – that’s what I believe in – and not have a relationship of a head coach and a player”
India made significant gains during the two-and-a-half-year period where Rahul Dravid was their head coach, making the finals of a world event in each of the three formats and winning the T20 crown. Now the focus is on building on those gains and the man leading them forward will be Gautam Gambhir, their new head coach, who understands he has “big shoes to fill”.
Speaking to reporters for the first time in his new role, Gambhir touched on the way he wants to work with India’s players and what they can expect from him. “It is very simple,” he said on Monday in Mumbai. “It is important to give players freedom – that’s what I believe in – and not have a relationship of a head coach and a player.
“The best relationship is one built on trust. The most important thing is they’ll always have my backing. I don’t complicate too many things. I am taking over a very, very successful team – India are T20 world champions, have been runners-up in the World Test Championship and the 50-overs World Cup.”
Gambhir’s tenure begins on July 27 with India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. This is his first time as head coach of a team, although he has served as a mentor in the IPL, with both Lucknow Super Giants and the reigning champions Kolkata Knight Riders. In his playing days, he was an excellent opening batter with an international career that spanned 13 years and peaked with World Cup wins in 2007 and 2011.
“My learning has been simple – it has been all about winning,” he said. “I don’t deviate from something. We are in a profession where there can be only one winner. We try and play fair, we try and play hard, and try and come back in a winning dressing room and a happy dressing room.
“A happy dressing room is a winning dressing room. Ultimately it is the players’ team, the support staff is there to try and get the maximum out of their potential. Sometimes international cricket can be tough, it can be insecure as well because only 15 can be picked. It is the job of support staff to keep them happy.”
For the tour of Sri Lanka, Gambhir will have Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate as assistant coaches and Sairaj Bahutule as the bowling coach. T Dilip, so far, is the only one to reprise his role from the previous regime. He will be the fielding coach. The other support staff members, Gambhir said, will be finalised after the Sri Lanka tour.
“For batters, if they can play consistently and if they are in good form, [they] might as well play all the games. With Rohit and Virat now not playing T20 cricket, they only have two formats to look after. So they are going to be available for most of the games”
Gautam Gambhir
In the past, Gambhir has not been an advocate of players picking and choosing matches. Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli both have been selected for the ODIs against Sri Lanka, with the former set to lead. This is one of only two ODI series India are slated to play ahead of the Champions Trophy early next year.
Gambhir said that workload management is important for fast bowlers but batters need to play all games if they are fit and available.
“Workload management for someone like Jasprit Bumrah is important,” Gambhir said. “For batters, if they can play consistently and if they are in good form, [they] might as well play all the games. With Rohit and Virat now not playing T20 cricket, they only have two formats to look after. So they are going to be available for most of the games.
“For Bumrah, because he is one rare kind of a bowler who anyone would want [in their team], so it’s our responsibility to try and have him fresh for most of the important games. So, workload management for, not just Bumrah, but fast bowlers becomes very, very important.”
S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7
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