As Gautam Gambhir Begins India Coach Job, Sanjay Manjrekar's Blunt Reminder Of His Role

27.07.2024 - 12:10 sports.ndtv.com

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar triggered a debate on social media with his strange remarks about the coaches of the Indian team.

Just as Gautam Gambhir prepares to begin his stint as the head coach of the Indian men's national team, Manjrekar suggested that there's no 'direct correlation' between coaches and the team winning the World Cup.

Manjrekar, instead, suggested that it's all about Indian cricket and the way it is functioning that suggests how successful a team is or isn't.

India first won the ODI World Cup in 1983 when the team didn't really have a designated head coach. Then came an incredibly successful stint in 2007, and 2011 where MS Dhoni led the team, though the coaches were different on both occasions.

cricket Sri Lanka Cricket Team India Cricket Team Gary Kirsten Gautam Gambhir Sanjay Manjrekar Australia India Sri Lanka Barbados

The ODI and T20I series against Sri Lanka were quite important from the perspective of the Indian cricket team as they were the first assignments of new head coach Gautam Gambhir. Rahul Dravid's tenure as the head coach came to an end following the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph and Gambhir was announced right away to take over the role. The first team selection for the new head coach came with some new faces but the ODI squad included two experienced names, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. While the tour of Sri Lanka was being seen as an opportunity to try new combinations with young talents, Gambhir insisted on including Kohli and Rohit. Former India fast bowler Ashish Nehra was asked about the decision and he believes that including Rohit-Virat was not the right call.

"Gautam Gambhir Is A Kid": Childhood Coach Makes Stunning Relevation

Gautam Gambhir's childhood coach Sanjay Bharadwaj has said that people often confuse Gambhir's strive to win and achieve success with arrogance. Calling him a 'kid', Bharadwaj - who has shared a three-decade long association with Gambhir - came to the defence of his most famous disciple. Gambhir was recently appointed the head coach of Team India, after a title-winning IPL 2024 as mentor of the Kolkata Knight Riders. Whilst Gambhir's clash of personalities with figures like MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have been popularly portrayed, his coach believes he is misunderstood.

"Tik Nahi Payega": On Gautam Gambhir's Role, India's T20 World Cup-Winner Drops Bold Remark

Former India pacer Joginder Sharma feels Gautam Gambhir's tenure as head coach of the team might not be a long one, mainly because of his outspoken nature. Gambhir took over as head coach of the Indian team last month after Rahul Dravid tenure came to an end after the T20 World Cup in June. Under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav, India defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in Gambhir's debut T20I series as head coach. On Friday, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli returned to the side for the ODI series opener, which India drew to Sri Lanka after a thrilling finish.

"Not Who The Coach Is": Sanjay Manjrekar's Post Blasted By Internet As Anti-Gautam Gambhir

The Gautam Gambhir-era in Indian cricket started on Saturday with the side taking on Sri Lanka in the first of a three-T20I series. From the time, Gambhir took over as the Indian cricket team coach, anticipation has been building over his tenure. As the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders, Gambhir guided the team to the IPL 2023 title. Earlier, he guided Lucknow Super Giants to two straight IPL playoffs.

Irfan Pathan's Blunt 'Riyan Parag Warning' As Gautam Gambhir Makes His Sanju Samson Stance Clear

After being benched for the first T20I against Sri Lanka, Sanju Samson marked his return to the Indian team in the second match of the series on Sunday. Samson, however, was dismissed for a golden duck, after being sent to open the innings alongside Yashasvi Jaiswal. The Rajasthan Royals captain, who usually bats at the No. 3 or No. 4 spot in the Indian Premier League, was surprisingly made to open after Shubman Gill had to miss out due to a neck spasm. Though it's only been two games since head coach Gambhir took over, his ideas about the team composition have been made quite clear, especially considering the role Riyan Parag has been given.

Will Rohit Sharma-Gautam Gambhir Prove To Be 'Effective'? Ex-India Star's Blunt Take

Gautam Gambhir's stint as India's new head coach will begin from July 27, when Suryakumar Yadav and co will take on Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series. The series consists of three T20Is, followed by as many ODIs, starting from August 2. Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid to become India's new coach, whose tenure came to an end after India's victory at the T20 World Cup 2024. Gambhir, who won the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup, is likely to bring a different approach to Team India.