Former Royal Challengers Bengaluru and India player Dinesh Karthik has shown excitement at the prospect of Gautam Gambhir becoming the next Team India head coach.
Current head coach Rahul Dravid’s tenure will finish after T20 World Cup 2024 and reports have indicated that Gautam Gambhir as the new India coach is a 'done deal’.
Gambhir, who captained India in a handful of ODIs, has won the IPL twice as Kolkata Knight Riders captain in 2012 and 2014. And most recently he guided KKR to IPL 2024 glory as the mentor of the team.
It only strengthened his credentials as a mentor, as he had led Lucknow Super Giants to the playoffs in two consecutive seasons before similarly joining KKR.
"What a record he has had as a coach! Being a mentor for LSG, two years on the bounce qualifying (for playoffs), comes to KKR and they say, 'Please, you got to do something special for us'. Ends up winning the trophy,” Dinesh Karthik said on Cricbuzz.
"He has been at the helm, taken all the decisions (for KKR), be it sending (Sunil) Narine opening or getting Mitchell Starc in the auction -- in all of those big recruits and getting the right team, the right balance, and then taking all the shots. I am seeing in the news that he could be part of the Indian team (chief coach) as well, and I really wish he does. He has that fire in him,” he added.
Gambhir's track record as a player and coach/mentor shows that he understands what it takes to win major championships. Aside from three IPL wins with KKR, Gambhir was a member of India's 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup winning teams under MS Dhoni.
Karthik believes Gambhir has set things in such order at KKR that even if he leaves to become India's head coach, the team will be well-positioned to excel in the following IPL season.
"I think he has really built a good (KKR) team, one that will have a lot of players retained and he has left them in a very, very good place. And if he gets the opportunity (India coach), I really hope he takes it. Being part of the national team and the patriotism that he has, I think he will definitely be tempted to take it and I really wish he comes in because he will infuse that winning culture he has infused here (at KKR)," reckoned Karthik.
"India would do very well under him because I feel he has that fire that is required. When it comes to KKR, whenever he is back (after a stint as India coach), they will take him back with open arms. But I do believe he has left Shreyas Iyer and the team in a much better place than it was when he took it (mentorship role),” he added.
Former New Zealand pace Simon Doul was also part of the discussion on Cricbuzz and fully agreed with Karthik's opinion.
"Those (Gambhir) are the kind of people you want at the helm -- highly respected, tough. He is a tough character, but I think he is a very fair character and I think he'll do a great job if he were to take over if he were to accept the role," said Doull.
Gautam Gambhir played 58 Tests, 147 ODIs, and 37 T20Is for India from 2003-2016.
(Cricbuzz inputs)
