Former Indian cricketer and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor Gautam Gambhir, at an event in Abu Dhabi, said there was no bigger honour than coaching the Indian national team.
His name has been doing the rounds as a frontrunner to replace the Indian cricket team coach Rahul Dravid. Amid speculations, Gambhir revealed his willingness to take the top post during a special interaction with children held at a Medeor Hospital, Abu Dhabi.
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Watch below, Gambhir’s response to being asked about coaching the cricket team:
Asked about coaching the national team and helping them win the ICC World Cup with his experience, Gambhir responded, laughing: “I have not answered this question, although a lot of people have asked me. But I have to answer you now. I would love to coach the Indian team. There is no bigger honour than coaching your national team. You are representing 140 crore Indians and more across the globe as well.”
He believes that India winning the ICC World Cup is a collective effort of every Indian both on and off the field.
“It is 140 crore Indians who will help India win the World Cup. If everyone starts praying for us and we start playing and representing them, India will win the World Cup. The most important thing is to be fearless.”
Personal visit to UAE
Gambhir, a member of parliament from India’s ruling party, opted out of the general elections, which concluded recently.
In the past few days, there have been reports that Gambhir’s name is being considered as the head coach. On Saturday, he found the backing of former Indian captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly who said that Gambhir would be a “good coach” for the national team.
The ace cricketer, who was on a personal visit to the UAE, paid a visit to the sports medicine department at the hospital under Burjeel Holdings, and interacted with experts to learn more about the latest advancements.
Safeer Ahamed, group COO of Burjeel Holdings, and senior officials briefed Gambhir about the integrated services and initiatives the group has undertaken to promote sports and well-being.
During a special interaction, he connected with young cricket enthusiasts from different academies in Abu Dhabi and shared insights on his inspiring journey and recent achievements.
Security is important
Gambhir, who was a key member of the Indian team that won the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, was praised for his recent success with the Kolkata Knight Riders after returning to the IPL franchise as their mentor.
Reflecting on his recent success, Gambhir said that ensuring security among team members is important in achieving success.
“Whether it is IPL or any sports event, security is important. A secure dressing room is a happy dressing room, and a happy dressing room ends up in a winning dressing room. Because as a sportsman when you fall, you start feeling insecure. Ensure you make yourself as well as your teammates secure. The only thing I did in the KKR was follow this mantra. With God’s grace, it actually worked.”
Gambhir offered advice on sportsmanship to the aspiring cricketers, and emphasised the importance of hard work, discipline, and passion.
“Sportsmanship is very important as it teaches you discipline and to be fair to everyone. There is no junior-senior or international-domestic difference. If you have good sportsmanship, you will always become a very successful sportsperson. Cricket is a team sport and you cannot win a game single-handedly.”
On coaches being too strict on children, he noted: “It is important to let children have fun and express themselves. My coach let me hit the ball when I wanted. This allowed me to enjoy cricket and ultimately love the sport.”