'I don't see that far ahead' - Gautam Gambhir provides twist to ongoing Indian team head coach debate

Gautam Gambhir flourished as Kolkata Knight Riders' mentor in the Indian Premier League (IPL 2024) as the franchise won its third title. Simultaneously, when the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) was looking for a new Head Coach for the men’s team, his name was pushed forward by the pundits. There were several reports doing rounds of him potentially signing up for the role. But the former India opener has broken silence on the burning question.  

The current India head coach, Rahul Dravid’s tenure will end with the culmination of T20 World Cup 2024 by the end of June. The new head coach will hold the reigns of the Indian team till December 31, 2027. Gambhir who previously showed interest in taking up the key position, has refrained from adding further fuel to the fire. He has asserted that he is in a happy space and insisted on avoiding tough questions.

"I don't see that far ahead. You are grilling me, asking me all tough questions. It is difficult to answer right now. All I can say is that I'm happy being here, just finished a brilliant journey (and) let's enjoy that. I'm in a very happy space right now," said Gambhir was quoted as saying by NDTV Sports.

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"If you have the intent of keeping your team ahead of any individual, things will fall in place. If not today, tomorrow, if not tomorrow, someday it will fall in place. But if you start thinking on that, or if you know that you need to help one or two individuals perform, then your team will only suffer. My job is not to make individuals perform. My job, as a mentor, is to make KKR win," he added.

You cannot have discrimination in a set up or in an organisation: Gambhir

KKR were dominant with their performance in the IPL 2024, leading the points table during the league stages and winning the final against Sunrisers Hyderabad comprehensively. There were more heroes for the team, unlike particular individual performances. Gautam Gambhir asserted that the success solely depended on treating all 11 players equally and the lack of bias in an organization.

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“In a team sport, it's the team that matters the most. Individuals do play a role, individuals do contribute. But I think if 11 people are treated equally, if 11 people have equal respect, if everyone is treated equally, given the same respect, same responsibility, same honour, you will achieve an unbelievable amount of success. You cannot have discrimination in a set up or in an organisation," Gambhir concluded.