"I never thought about coaching India even a couple of months back" - Gautam Gambhir on his meteoric rise as a coachÂ
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir spoke about not genuinely considering coaching as a path after his retirement as a player. The former opening batter had moved into broadcasting and politics before coming into the coaching fray through the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Gambhir played a massive role as Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) mentor, overseeing the squad building ahead of their first auction, and guiding them into consecutive playoffs. He went one step further after his switch to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), helping his beloved franchise to their third title in history.
His triumph in the 2024 IPL made him an ideal candidate in the Board of Control for Cricket in India's (BCCI) perspective to be Rahul Dravid's successor as Team India's head coach. Gambhir, who took on the role after some deliberation, has been tasked with overseeing a crucial phase across formats.
"I never thought about coaching. In fact, I never thought about coaching India even a couple of months back. Obviously, first, it is an absolute honor to be representing your country once again, coming back into the dressing room where you have spent a lot of time, and we have done some special things, have had some great memories with all of you guys," Gambhir responded to Kohli's query during their interaction released by BCCI.
Gambhir is the youngest candidate to take on the role of Team India head coach. His reign began with a successful 3-0 whitewash over Sri Lanka in a T20I series, but the team suffered a 0-2 loss in the subsequent ODI rubber.
"Sometimes you want to challenge yourself and keep pushing yourself forward" - Gautam Gambhir on accepting Team India's head coach role
The role of Team India's head coach is arguably one of the most rewarding and lucrative offers in the sport, but at the same time, it is highly intimidating. The intense nature of the job, coupled with the travel and expectations, has led to several big names turning down the prospect.
Gambhir, however, feels that challenging oneself is important and believes he can contribute to Indian cricket in his new role.
"Looking at the kind of tours we have got, we have the Champions Trophy, the T20 World Cup and the ODI World Cup. So, sometimes you want to challenge yourself and keep pushing yourself forward. That was one of the reasons I thought that yes, I can contribute. Unless and until you do not have the full support of your family, it is difficult to make such decisions," Gambhir added
After overseeing his maiden tour and white-ball games, Gambhir has his first home and Test assignment all lined up. Team India are scheduled to take on Bangladesh in a two-match Test series, the first of which will start at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai on Thursday, September 19.