New Delhi: The national team’s childhood coach, Sanjay Bharadwaj, believes that Gautam Gambhir, the recently appointed head coach of India, can bring out the best in players when the chips are down and that his willingness to take on issues head-on can make winning a habit.
On Tuesday, Gambhir—a former opener who helped India win the World Cup—was handed command of the team. He succeeded Rahul Dravid, whose stint came to an end last month after his team won the T20 World Cup in Barbados.
“Gautam has the quality to bring the best out of his players. The job of a top coach is precisely that. Gauti knows his players well and can bring the best out of them, using them effectively.
“I feel, as a coach, he has the capability to take India to the pinnacle. He can do the job honestly without any bias and bring the best to Indian cricket. The (ODI) World Cup title which has eluded us for the last 13 years would now start coming,” Bhardwaj told PTI Videos on Wednesday.
Gambhir has the capacity to rise to any challenge and be successful in his endeavors, according to Bharadwaj, who has also produced several Ranji players from Delhi in addition to India cricketers Amit Mishra, Unmukt Chand, and Nitish Rana.
“He always played with a challenge. Since he was 10, he had the winner’s mentality. He always played to win. He never thought that he could lose a match. He was never in doubt.
“Gauti always had a sharp and astute observation power. Gautam has the ability to take up any challenge and then succeed in it,” the veteran coach said about Gambhir, who played a crucial role in India lifting the ODI World Cup in 2011 under Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
When the India captain was going through a hard period in his early career, Bharadwaj said, Gambhir had foretold Rohit Sharma’s comeback.
“He has played with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the past. Long back, he had once given his ‘Man of the Match’ to Virat. That shows his golden heart. He told me long back that Rohit Sharma will become a great player one day. This was when Rohit was not among the runs and needed some encouragement. His observation about Rohit proved accurate,” he said.
Gambhir would always follow his gut if he felt it was the right move, Bharadwaj continued.
“If Gautam ever feels that something is right for the team, he will be firm on that decision. Gautam plays to win. He knows what to do and focusses on having a set team combination. He doesn’t believe in favouritism; the only thing that is his favourite is cricket.”
According to Bharadwaj, Gambhir followed his gut and supported KKR’s two star players, Navdeep Saini and Kuldeep Yadav, for the 2024 IPL.
“He could pick players like Kuldeep Yadav and Navdeep Saini (in the India team setup). They are his product. He also followed his instincts on West Indian all-rounder Sunil Narine (during IPL 2024). His observation and cricketing acumen were always outstanding,” he added.
As someone who has participated in two successful World Cup campaigns, Gambhir says to his ward to “be honest in your approach” (the T20 World Cup in 2007 and the ODI World Cup in 2011).
“With his batting, he won two World Cups for India in 2007 and 2011. As a player, you helped India win two World Cups, then propelled KKR to three IPL titles. You have a habit of taking up challenges and conquering them; be honest in your approach and repay the country’s faith in you,” he said.
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