Opinion Why Gautam Gambhir as coach could be better for younger cricketers

Gautam Gambhir’s stint as the head coach of the Indian men’s team can take cricket away from the celebrity culture that has come to define it, and towards an acknowledgement of the collective effort that results in victories or defeats. Never the flashiest or most-talented player in the team during his playing days, Gambhir reached the top of the game using the unglamorous attributes of hard work, grit, a strong mind and a solid work ethic.

It’s this quality that is likely to appeal to youngsters coming into the team in a transitional phase of Indian cricket. Stalwarts like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are outliers who are capable of working things out if they fall into a rut. All they may ever need from a coach would be reassurance, more than technical inputs. As far as the seniors are concerned, keeping the dressing room a happy place is key. It’s the development of the less heralded players that should be the new coach’s focus. Gambhir takes up the India job after guiding Kolkata Knight Riders to the Indian Premier League title in his first season as mentor. That team was characterised by a lack of big superstars — no player from the franchise featured in India’s 15-man squad for the T20 World Cup.

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Gambhir has often railed against the tendency of turning cricketers into demi-gods. A part of it could be attributed to him not getting enough plaudits for stellar roles in the finals of the two World Cups India won during his time. Be it his stint as Delhi’s Ranji Trophy captain or KKR coach, the former Lok Sabha MP is known to punt on youngsters with promise and stand by them. If this helps the younger players in the team in coming out of the shadow of their more celebrated teammates, it could only be a good development for Indian cricket.