Manan Vohra played for LSG under Gambhir's mentorship.
Manan Vohra remembered how a conversation with Gautam Gambhir drastically shifted his perspective when he began blaming himself for receiving fewer opportunities.
During his time as a mentor in the Indian Premier League with the Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders, Gautam Gambhir was instrumental in the development of young cricketers.
Gambhir, who is quite vocal about his views and opinions, believes in direct communication with his players and does not hesitate to give them a reality check.
Manan Vohra, who has played over 50 matches in the IPL, remembered how a conversation with Gambhir entirely transformed his thinking.
Vohra recalled that when he was playing for Rajasthan Royals, he felt uneasy seeing players like Riyan Parag getting more backing from the team management, while he warmed the bench for the majority of the season.
"It's a very tough situation to not get a game. You want to play. That's all a player wants to do to get recognition. In Rajasthan Royals, Riyan Parag was like 17 when he came there, and I was there; he used to gel up with me a lot because, as a big brother to him, I used to be around him and guide him. He started getting the opportunities. He has always had the ability of brutal striking. He got the opportunities but there was a stage when he was not doing well but got the backing. I didn't feel bad that he was getting the backing, and I didn't, but I wanted that I should also get it. It remained inside me for a couple of years till the time I met Gautam Gambhir at Lucknow, he was the mentor there two years back," Vohra said in a podcast on Taruwar Kohli's YouTube channel.
Vohra, who has also played for Punjab Kings, then moved to Lucknow Super Giants, where Gambhir was the mentor.
"Since Kings XI times, he has been keen to sign me for KKR when he was the captain. Finally, he got me into LSG. In my last season at LSG, I got a game against Chennai Super Kings, it was a washed-out game where I got out for 15-20 on a challenging Lucknow wicket after getting set. I was dropped the next game. Then came the qualifiers game, and there was a discussion on team combination, I was batting in the nets and having a good batting session. I went to Gambhir and had a chat with him. He told me, "You're batting well," then I told him that I wanted to have a chat with you. I told him that I got just one match and got dropped. I am batting well, and anyone can get out in one match, and that was also a washout game," he said.
Gambhir did not complicate matters by telling Vohra that it is not the same for every player, thus every player must aim to have an impression in every game they play.
"He answered me very plainly-sweetly-simply and said, "Life is different for everyone; some players get eight matches, some get just one. It's not everyone gets the same amount of matches, but if you have got one match, then you have to do it in that one match only, end of story," and I was like stunned. I could have gotten offended, but I realized the depth of that conversation when he said if you are so good, then even if you have got one match, you have to prove yourself and move ahead," he added.
Vohra stated that the talk helped him because he used to moan when things didn't go his way, but Gambhir's words improved his perspective and approach.
"That day I thought he was right, I can't blame anyone or the circumstances that it is happening to me, we often try to victimize ourselves that it's not happening like this or that. If you have got one match, you should be good enough, and you have to be so well prepared to make an impact so they will persist with you," he concluded.
(Hindustan Times inputs)