A decade after leading the Kolkata Knight Riders to their second IPL trophy as their captain, Gautam Gambhir led the Knights to their third triumph as a mentor. His team proved to be too dominant for the Sunrisers Hyderabad as they were defeated by 8 wickets on the night. After making his return to the KKR franchise, Gambhir had some big decisions to make in the auction. He certainly nailed them as Mitchell Starc, the most expensive purchase in the history of IPL led KKR to a stellar win in the final.
The Australian certainly did the important part, but it wouldn’t have been possible if not for Gambhir who took a gamble on him as he has previously ruled himself out of IPL due to injury sacres and other issues. This time around Starc stuck around and although he did not enjoy a lot of success at the start of the campaign, he repaid the faith Gambhir showed him with a brilliant bowling performance in the final, where he dismissed two key batsmen from the SRH lineup.
This was not the only master stroke Gambhir played during the IPL. He pushed Sunil Narine to bat at the top of the order, a tactic which they had put to great use a few seasons ago. This seemed to work wonders for them as the West Indian put on a show almost every time he came to bat. He added 488 runs with the bat and gave the Knights an explosive start to relieve some pressure off the other batters. Having proven his credentials in the shorter format, Gautam Gambhir has showcased why he deserves to be the next Indian head coach after Rahul Dravid parts ways with the team.
Gautam Gambhir’s tenure will bring merit-based selection back to the Indian team
Gautam Gambhir is not a man who minces his words. The former Indian opener is not the one to shy away from calling out players for underperforming and this has led to him being labelled as the bad guy of cricket. However, Gambhir clearly does not care about his public perception and this is what makes him one of the most able names to replace Rahul Dravid as the next Indian coach.
Having been a mentor in the IPL for a while, Gambhir certainly has a lot to offer. He is one of the smartest cricketing brains and can change the game on its head with a few tactical improvements. The current Indian team has some quality players, but there is no X-Factor that can help them get over the line in big games. This has led to them collapsing in crucial situations and losing trophies that were in the palm of their hands.
Gautam Gambhir will hold players accountable regardless of their stature. Indian cricket currently lacks this and his arrival may turn things around. Despite having some of the most dangerous players, the team has fallen short due to experienced campaigners sometimes playing loose shots or bowling expensive overs. However, their following among fans and the place they have in the team leads to them not being held accountable.
The arrival of Gambhir could lead to falling outs and controversies, but it will certainly prove to be great for the development of Indian cricket. Currently, no imminent name has been mentioned, but his recent work with KKR in the IPL certainly puts him in a comfortable position to be the next coach.
