Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir is hoping for India's wait for an ICC title to get over under the newly appointed head coach Rahul Dravid. Dravid will take over the role from New Zealand's tour to India after the T20 World Cup 2021.
Team India once again failed to win the ICC tournament as they got eliminated in the Super 12 of the T20 World Cup 2021. Virat Kohli and company were among the favorites to lift the trophy but they couldn't finish at the top two in their group.
Speaking to Star Sports, Gambhir said he's looking forward to Dravid's tenure as India coach. Indian team's current support staff, including Ravi Shastri's stint, ends with the T20 World Cup 2021.
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"Looking forward to it (Dravid's tenure as coach). India will have a new captain as well and I hope Rohit Sharma gets it because of 5 IPL titles, what more do you want from someone? The most successful captain in the history of the IPL and hopefully he and Rahul Dravid can take Indian cricket forward. Probably can win an ICC tournament as well. It's been a long time now, it's been 14-15 years we haven't won a T20 tournament," Gambhir said.
India last won a T20 World Cup in 2007 and an ICC trophy in 2013 under the captaincy of MS Dhoni. They had defeated England to win the 2013 Champions Trophy. Since then, India have reached the knockout stages but couldn't secure another title win.
Gambhir feels India should rethink their game plan for the T20I cricket with another T20 World Cup scheduled to be played next year in Australia. It is expected that after Virat Kohli quits T20I captaincy, Rohit Sharma will take the leadership role.
"Hopefully, Rohit and Rahul can take Indian cricket forward and probably can create a template, the way they want to go about in the T20 format. I hope they go about it the same England goes because you have got the ability to do it," Gambhir said.
"Sometimes, if you ask a team like New Zealand to do it, they might not be able to do it because they have not got enough firepower but with people like Rohit Sharma, KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, and Hardik Pandya, they have the ability to be fearless.
"The responsibility will not only be on Rahul Dravid and whoever the new captain is but the experts, the media, and the selectors to let them go out and play that way. it's easy to say standing here that we should play that way but it's important to back them even if they fail or don't perform. We have got to realize that all of us need to support that template," he added.
(With Star Sports Inputs)
