‘Coaches are not on field…’: Kapil Dev’s assessment of ‘slightly temperamental’ Gautam Gambhir’s tenure

Things haven’t been quite positive within the Indian camp since the beginning of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. By the end of the series, there were reports of tensions between coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma, with the latter opting to sit out of the final Test in Sydney. Things went further downhill after it was reported that Rohit had decided to call time on his career after the fourth Test, but a change in decision caused tensions to escalate with Gambhir.

A host of Team India players, including wicketkeeper-batter Rishabh Pant, are set for an appearance in the Ranji Trophy later this month after pressure has increased for international players to participate in domestic tournaments. As such, Gambhir’s place as head coach has also come under scrutiny, and former India captain Kapil Dev spoke in detail about the situation.

The 1983 World Cup-winning captain, in his assessment of Gambhir’s tenure so far, stressed the expectations may be high but the onus ultimately lies on the players to perform.

“The expectations are high. The coaches are not on the field, but the captain and the team are on the ground. A new coach will come out with his own ideas and hope it will serve the country in a better sense. If he’s not, then people will raise their finger,” the 66-year-old former Indian skipper told Gulf News.

Different from Dravid, Shastri

While Rahul Dravid is known for his calm demeanour and a rather diplomatic way of handling situations, Gambhir comes across a fierce personality with a no-holds-barred approach.

“Gambhir is a slightly temperamental person. He’s different from Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. Every coach has his own way of thinking, so let’s hope he will do better for the country,” Kapil said further.

Gautam Gambhir’s next assignment begins later this month when India meet England for five T20Is and three ODIs. India’s batting stalwarts – captain Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – will return for the fifty-over format, which will be in focus over the next few months with Champions Trophy scheduled in February-March.