Former Indian batter and cricket analyst, Akash Choprashared his thoughts on the possibility of becoming a mentor to Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Gautam Gambhir will be the next head coach of Team India.
Chopra believes Gambhir would be a strong candidate for the high-profile role given his easy-going nature and proven ability to effectively lead and build a team.
He also highlighted the former India opener’s impressive skills at IPL auctions and praised Gambhir’s sharp strategic mind. He had also worked as a mentor for Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in the IPL.
Aakash Chopra is not in favor of appointing Gautam Gambhir as India’s next coach
Recently, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) invited applications for the role of head coach of the Indian national cricket team. However, incumbent coach Rahul Dravid can also reapply for the job if he wants to continue in the job but he is reportedly not willing to extend his role.
The media reports further claimed that the BCCI had contacted Gambhir for the India head coach position after KKR made it to the IPL 2024 playoffs under his leadership.
Well, Chopra pointed out that Gambhir would be an ideal choice for the job, but coaching the Indian cricket team would pose different challenges than managing an IPL franchise as there are several experienced players in the team.
Chopra also compared Gambhir’s leadership to that of a strict father and his strict approach could lead to problems within the team which already has many experienced players and they may have to be cautious if the former World Cup winner joins the national team.
Gautam Gambhir is a very strong personality: Aakash Chopra
Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube channel, “Not a bad choice, there’s no doubt about it, because he’s an easy-going person. He knows how to lead and build a team. I really rate him highly when it comes to the auction. However, there will be no auction for the Indian team.
Gautam Gambhir, the coach, is a very strong personality. If there is a transition, a new captain comes, then yes. However, if the team already has a lot of seniors, I will be a bit cautious as Gauti’s working style is almost like a strict father. If the father is strict, the children have to be a little careful.”
However, Chopra mentioned that Gambhir is not like the big brother who is always there for his juniors and said the KKR mentor is more of a ‘my way or the road’ type of leader and this approach may not always work well in a group of experienced players.
He said goodbye with the words: “When you have very experienced players on the team, you look for a big brother who keeps his hand on your shoulders and doesn’t try to impose himself. However, that won’t happen with Gautam. For Gautam it’s simple: my way or the highway. So things may not work out in your favor every time in a senior group.”
Notably, Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India’s head coach ends with the conclusion of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2024 in the USA and the Caribbean.