"One of the better captains Indian cricket has ever had" - When a former India cricketer hailed Gautam Gambhir's underrated leadership skills
Former India batter and current head coach Gautam Gambhir only captained the national side briefly and that too when the regular leaders weren't available. He, however, got an opportunity to prove himself as a leader in T20 cricket at the IPL level and responded by guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to two title triumphs - in 2012 and 2014.
Incidentally, the 43-year-old was the mentor of KKR when they won their third title earlier this year by defeating Sunrisers Hyderabad in a one-sided final. The former cricketer was subsequently appointed as Team India's head coach.
On the 22 Yarns podcast in 2021, former India batter Robin Uthappa hailed Gambhir's leadership skills. Making a huge comment on the two-time World Cup-winning cricketer, he said:
"Gauti (Gautam Gambhir) is one of the better captains Indian cricket has ever had, especially in the IPL. He is like a proper leader and he built security within a group which is what you want for a team sport because when there is security, the focus is on performance."
Apart from leading Kolkata Knight Riders to two IPL triumphs, the former left-handed batter was also a significant contributor to the franchise with the willow. In fact, he's still the leading run-getter for KKR. In 122 matches, Gambir notched up 3,345 runs at an average of 31.26 and a strike rate of 124.72, with 30 fifties, including a best of 93.
A glance at Gautam Gambhir's stats as captain
Gambhir led India in six one-dayers during his international career and had an unblemished record, winning all the matches. Under him, the Men in Blue thumped New Zealand 5-0 in November-December 2010. The skipper was the Player of the Series for smashing 329 runs at an average of 109.66, with the aid of two tons.
The left-hander scored 138* off 116 in Jaipur in the second match of the series and 126* off 117 in the next one-dayer in Vadodara. He ended the series with scores of 27 and 0. Gambhir also led India in one match against West Indies in Chennai in December 2011. He contributed 31 as the hosts won by 34 runs.
At the IPL level, he briefly captained Delhi Capitals apart from leading KKR. Having led in 129 matches in the T20 league, he won 71 and lost 57, while one ended in a tie.