"One of the very few people who can be clinical about Indian cricket, and not too emotional" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Gautam Gambhir
Former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar has backed Gautam Gambhir to succeed as head coach ahead of his first red-ball as well as home assignment. The newly appointed coach oversaw the tour of Sri Lanka, where the Men in Blue completed a whitewash in the T20I series, but lost the ODI series 0-2.
Having held roles with the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) since his transition as coach, the Team India head coach position comes across as his first major role in international cricket. The same is the case with assistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate.
Manjrekar played down the lack of experience at the highest level, and felt that Gambhir's impressive game-reading ability makes up for it quite well.
"Coaches have limited sort of impact in cricket. Rahul Dravid did a fantastic job, and the T20 World Cup win was something that he needed as a parting gift. He put his heart and soul in the game, and the same can be expected from Gautam Gambhir. I've known him for the last 3-4 years, and he is a guy who reads the game really well. One of the very few people who can be clinical about Indian cricket, and not too emotional," Manjrekar said on ESPN Cricinfo.
Gautam Gambhir played a crucial role in guiding Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their third IPL title earlier this year. It proved to be a gamechanger as he was headhunted by the BCCI to be Rahul Dravid's successor post the 2024 T20 World Cup.
"I'm sure somewhere he will change his ways a little bit" - Sanjay Manjrekar on Gambhir's intense personality
Gautam Gambhir's intense personality on and off the field has been well documented. The former player's no-nonsense attitude was on show in his early days as a coach too, but Manjrekar feels that inside the dressing room while interacting with the players and forming a bond with the captian, he is bound to dial it down a notch.
"Maybe not as much the captain, but the coach is as good as the team. So, Indian cricket is in a great state, and I believe that should continue no matter who the coach. What we see of Gambhir is his public persona, as a player and as an expert. Now, when he gets into the team as coach, I'm sure somewhere he will change his ways a little bit, and think differently." Majrekar opined.
The first Test between India and Bangladesh will kickstart from Thursday, September 19, at the MA Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai.