"We are talking about players who are legends" - Aakash Chopra on Gautam Gambhir needing to manage transition after 2025 Champions Trophy
Aakash Chopra reckons one of Gautam Gambhir's challenges as India's head coach will be managing a potential transition in the ODI format after next year's Champions Trophy. However, he acknowledged that veterans like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and Ravindra Jadeja would also know when and how to leave.
Gambhir has taken over from Rahul Dravid as India's full-time head coach. The former India opener will likely be at the helm of the coaching staff in the white-ball series against Sri Lanka starting later this month.
While observing that Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja have already quit T20Is, Chopra noted that Gambhir might have to chalk out plans without some of those stalwarts even in ODIs after the 2025 Champions Trophy.
"He will have to manage the transition. One has become easy as Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jaddu (Ravindra Jadeja) have said that their T20I career is over. So you have started walking on a new path by default in the shortest format. I don't think any of them is leaving Tests at the moment," he said in a video on his YouTube account (4:00).
"ODI cricket will be that 50-50 thing, that what after the Champions Trophy? The next World Cup is in 2027, so the transition will start after the Champions Trophy. He will have to figure it out. The truth is we are talking about players who are legends, whose names come among the greatest of all times. So they would also know when and how to leave, and whether any of them can stay till 2027," Chopra added.
Rohit, Kohli, and Jadeja endured the heartbreak of losing the 2023 ODI World Cup final to Australia after a 10-match winning run. It remains to be seen if they wish to continue playing ODIs till the 2027 edition of the World Cup, especially if they win next year's Champions Trophy.
"Dravid has left behind a fantastic legacy" - Aakash Chopra on Gautam Gambhir's other challenge
Aakash Chopra pointed out that Gautam Gambhir will also have to maintain and carry forward a glorious legacy left behind by Rahul Dravid.
"You have to take a huge legacy forward. India have reached the final of the last three ICC events - the WTC final, the 50-over World Cup, and have lifted the trophy in the T20 World Cup final. So Dravid has left behind a fantastic legacy because of the job he did. Rohit Sharma also wrote a huge post about that legacy. Maintaining and taking the legacy forward will be a challenging task," he said in the same video (3:05).
The cricketer-turned-commentator highlighted some of the challenges ahead for Gambhir.
"You feel that India have to progress from here. We haven't won a series in England for a long time, so we have to win a series there. Can we retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy - that will be another big thing. You will have the Champions Trophy, then the T20 World Cup, and the WTC final in between. There are three ICC events in the next two years and you expect to win at least two," Chopra observed.
Chopra noted that Gambhir has fantastic credentials as a captain and mentor in the Indian Premier League. While observing that his non-compromising coaching approach is suited for the under-19s, he added that it remains to be seen whether it would work at the senior level.