'He is passionate, he is honest' - Sourav Ganguly bats for Gautam Gambhir's appointment as head coach of Team India

Gautam Gambhir’s name is being pushed for the coveted job of the Indian team’s new head coach. There were rumours about his potential appointment as the latest coach after Rahul Dravid’s tenure ends post-T20 World Cup 2024. Gambhir has committed himself fully to cricket as he stepped down from the Member of Parliament position ahead of IPL 2024. Subsequently, he led Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title on May 26. 

The former India opener has previously been vocal about the need for a change in approach within the Indian team to taste the ICC silverware again. Now, former India captain Sourav Ganguly has backed Gambhir to hold the head coach position and termed him as a passionate and honest man. For the uninitiated, Gambhir had returned the signing amount and stepped down from Delhi Capitals’ captaincy position midway after poor form.

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“He is passionate, he is honest...he is a very good candidate. There is indeed a difference between coaching or mentoring a franchise, and coaching an international team, that too a high-profile team like India. But I am sure Gautam will know it and is aware of it,” said Ganguly to RevSportz.

“He will know how to deal with stars like Virat and Rohit, and will surely adapt himself to the culture of the change room. It is not just about pushing your own thoughts. He will, I am sure, think and carry the change room with himself,” he added.

Choose the coach and institution wisely: Ganguly

Ganguly’s statement on Gambhir comes after he shared a cryptic post concerning India’s hunt for a new coach. There were speculations amongst fans as the names of Justin Langer, Stephen Fleming, and Ricky Ponting were doing rounds for the position. The former southpaw took to his social media and cautioned BCCI to choose the new coach wisely.

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"The coach's significance in one's life, their guidance, and relentless training shape the future of any person, both on and off the field. So choose the coach and institution wisely..." Ganguly wrote in his ‘X’ post.