India’s T20I captain Shreyas Iyer reflected on his long-standing partnership with head coach Gautam Gambhir, calling the latter’s mindset "aggressive, trusting, and fearless".
Addressing the media on the eve of the first T20I against Afghanistan, Iyer also spoke extensively about how their professional equation has evolved over nearly a decade through three distinct chapters.
The partnership began when Gambhir returned to Delhi Daredevils (now Delhi Capitals) in 2018. Midway through the season, struggling for personal form, Gambhir stepped down as captain and personally backed a young Iyer to succeed him.
Six years later, the duo reunited at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) with Gambhir as the team mentor and Iyer as the established captain, successfully lifting the IPL trophy together.
The pair now leads the national T20I setup together as head coach and captain. Despite facing setbacks in their first two assignments against Ireland and England, Iyer emphasized that Gambhir's clear individual transparency regarding team roles is exactly what keeps the squad focused and fearless.
“I think he’s got a very aggressive mindset. He is someone who is always looking to win when he steps onto the field,” Iyer told reporters on Saturday (September 12).
“He builds a lot of trust and confidence within the team, and every player knows what their role is and has clarity about it,” he added.
Iyer then highlighted Gambhir's distinct ability to manage players. “He has an amazing one-on-one player management approach. That is essential going forward in the tournament when you have that kind of relationship with every player, because all of us are different in our own ways and you need to understand each player,” he explained.
Iyer believes that having already worked together previously help both of them navigate the demands of the current environment.
“Both Gauti bhai and I, we have been in this scenario where we need to know the players, how they can deliver for the team,” he said. “The more matches we win, the more we will be getting to know each other closely.”
Iyer, however, expressed confidence in his understanding of Gambhir's aggressive coaching philosophy and intensity.
“I’ve worked with him in the past at KKR, so I definitely know how his mind works and how his approach is going to be.”
India will begin their three-match T20I series against Afghanistan on September 13, followed by matches on September 15 and 17. All three matches will be held in Delhi’s Arun Jaitley Stadium.
The same team will then move towards the Asian Games in Japan, where India are the defending champions. The men's cricket campaign begins with the quarter-finals on September 28, with the semi-finals scheduled for October 1 and the final on October 3.
