‘He’s a very good leader’ - Dinesh Karthik reflects on Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as India head coach

The BCCI (Board of Control for Cricket in India) came forward and announced former India batter Gautam Gambhir as the side’s new head coach. The former coach, Rahul Dravid’s tenure with the Men in Blue ended after the T20 World Cup 2024, and after much speculation, Gambhir was announced as his successor.

Gambhir will be under immense pressure to fill Dravid’s shoes, but former India cricketer Dinesh Karthik is hopeful of the former opener’s success in his stint as head coach. 

Karthik recently came forward and heaped praise on Gautam Gambhir, branding him a good leader and the right man to lead the Indian team forward in the right direction. 

“He’s a very good leader. I think he will bring two things to the Indian team. One is the fact that he’s a complete players’ man. He protects his players, and that’s very important in international cricket because, at times, you can feel lonely or deserted in international cricket when performances don’t go your way. So, Gambhir is going to do that,” Karthik said on Cricbuzz.

“And number two, he’ll definitely bring a clever tactical angle to this Indian team. He was a very fierce, intense guy, and always liked playing for the team and did whatever it took to win a game of cricket,” he added.

It is worth noting that the Indian team is all set to tour Sri Lanka for a white-ball series. Both sides will face off in three T20Is and three ODIs, with the series set to begin on July 27. It is also interesting to note that the series will be Gautam Gambhir’s first as the head coach of India.

Also Read: India announces T20I and ODI squads for Sri Lanka tour, Suryakumar Yadav named new T20I captain

The BCCI recently announced India’s squad for the two three-game series against Sri Lanka. Star batter Suryakumar Yadav will lead India in the T20Is against Sri Lanka, whereas Rohit Sharma will continue to lead India in the 50-over former in the tour.