Before Playing Under Gautam Gambhir, R Ashwin Says This About 'Other' Candidate For India Coach Job

22.08.2024 - 02:23 sports.ndtv.com

Ravichandran Ashwin is gearing up for a big 10-Test season and the Bangladesh series next month will be his first under new head coach Gautam Gambhir, someone with whom he has also played a lot.

Ashwin also admires him as one of the "heroes" of Indian cricket. "Gautam is someone I still share a very, very good relationship with.

Because of the fact that he is a very straightforward and an honest guy. I think Gautam is also one of those guys that we should always be backing.

He's a hero of Indian cricket," he said of the new coach, who took charge in the recent tour of Sri Lanka. Ashwin's first state team coach WV Raman, one of the respected names in Indian cricket has been a guiding force for him.

cricket India Cricket Team Ravichandran Ashwin Gautam Gambhir India Sri Lanka Bangladesh

Amid the chatter around Jasprit Bumrah being potentially rested for the 2-match Test series against Bangladesh, the marquee pacer surprisingly found a place in the squad for the first Test. Wicket-keeper batter Rishabh Pant also marked his return to the Test side after nearly 20 months out as India announced their 16-man squad for the series opener on Sunday. While some big names returned to the squad, some prominent names missed out too. However, another decision from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) selection committee that raised eyebrows was the absence of a designated vice-captain.

Two-Time IPL Winner Leading Race To Replace Gautam Gambhir As KKR Mentor: Report

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) ended a 10-year Indian Premier League (IPL) drought earlier this season, beating SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in a one-sided final. Prior to this season, KKR had last won an IPL trophy in 2014 back when Gautam Gambhir was the captain of the team. Incidentally, Gambhir made his return to KKR ahead of IPL 2024, joining the franchise as a mentor from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). However, months after masterminding KKR's IPL triumph, Gambhir left the role to join the Indian men's cricket team as its head coach in July earlier this year.

Ex-Star Exposes Pakistan's 'Backbiting' Culture, Mentions Rahul Dravid And Gautam Gambhir

All is not going well in Pakistan cricket following the team's first of its kinds series loss to Bangladesh earlier this month. Bangladesh, against all odds, clean swept Pakistan 2-0 in Rawalpindi to register their first ever Test match and series wins against the Shan Masood-led side. Following the disappointing loss, former spinner Danish Kaneria has launched a scathing attack on the Pakistan Cricket Board (PCB). Kaneria, who played 61 Tests for Pakistan, called out the PCB for the backbiting culture in Pakistan cricket.

After Gautam Gambhir Replaced Rahul Dravid As Coach, Rishabh Pant Reveals Big Change In Team

The Gautam Gambhir era in Indian cricket started with the Sri Lanka Tour. While India won the T20I series, they lost the ODI series. Indian cricket team got a long break after that and will next be playing in a Test series against Bangladesh, starting September 19. That series will start Gambhir's real test. Rishabh Pant is going to be crucial cog in India's scheme of things in the coming years. Both Gambhir and Pant played their national level cricket for Delhi team. In an interview, Pant talked about the change in Indian cricket under Gautam Gambhir.

As Rahul Dravid Joins Rajasthan Royals, Kumar Sangakkara In Talks With This IPL Franchise: Report

Rahul Dravid's return to Rajasthan Royals as a coach has resulted into a big shuffle in the franchise's management. With former Team India batting Vikram Rathour, who is also reportedly set to join him among the support staff, it has been reported that the franchise's Director of Cricket Operations, Kumar Sangakkara, is looking for an exit. In fact, a report has claimed that Sangakkara has already begun talks with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for the mentor's role, hoping to replace Gautam Gambhir, who left the spot vacant to become Team India's head coach.

"With Gautam Gambhir's Arrival...": Virender Sehwag's Honest Take On New India Head Coach

A T20I series win and an ODI series loss, that's how Gautam Gambhir began his stint as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team. While there's plenty that Gambhir has to learn and implement in the coming weeks, the success or failure of his role as a coach will be defined by the way the Indian team performs in ICC events. Though there remain those who find certain aspects of Gambhir's coaching style tricky, his former opening partner Virender Sehwag doesn't think there are many challenges from the coach's point of view.