Former India opener Gautam Gambhir has officially replaced Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the national men’s cricket team. He will begin his stint with the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, starting on July 26.
In the ongoing T20I tour of Zimbabwe, National Cricket Academy (NCA) head VVS Laxman is playing the role of the India’s interim coach.
Gambhir has been roped in by the BCCI with a lot of hope after he mentored Kolkata Knight Riders to the IPL title earlier this year.
Meanwhile, young India pacer Avesh Khan has said that Gautam Gambhir's single-minded objective of winning at all costs and striving to get the best out of his players make him a ‘team coach'.
Notably, Avesh has played under Gambhir's mentorship in the Indian Premier League for Lucknow Super Giants.
“Whatever I have learned from him, it is about the mindset that you should always look to get the better of your opponent and give your 100 per cent,” Avesh told BCCI ahead of India's fourth T20I against Zimbabwe in Harare.
“In team meetings, as well as one-on-ones, he would speak less but would convey his point as to what is to be done. He would assign tasks and roles to players and he has always been a ‘team coach', he always wants to win and everyone to give their 100 per cent,” he added.
With six wickets in three T20Is, Avesh said he has enjoyed bowling against Zimbabwe at the Harare Sports Club.
“We have played on different wickets here. We played the first two matches on the same deck, there was good bounce in the first match but in the second it had flattened out. The conditions are good, since it is an open ground the ball also swings a bit,” Avesh stated.
“But since these matches are played in daytime, sometimes the wicket dries up but as a bowler you should be prepared to bowl in all situations. I always try to take wickets for my team and with bigger boundaries here, as a bowler that is enjoyable,” he further remarked.
Talking about his progress in recent times, Avesh said his focus has been on making his captain's job easier.
“I try to give a freehand to the captain, in terms of using me whenever he wants to. If a captain has a bowler who can be used in all three stages — powerplay, middle overs and in the death — his number of options increases,” he said.
“As a bowler, I always think of providing that as an option, bring in new elements such as developing a slow bouncer or a leg-cutter from outside off-stump or near the wide line,” he continued.
Avesh also expressed his desire to emulate ace pacer Jasprit Bumrah, who played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup 2024 triumph last month.
“Like Virat bhai said, he is once in a generation bowler, it is true and we all believe so. His style of bowling and his mindset are different, but main (thing) is his execution, for which we all practice,” Avesh said.
“Whenever I speak with him, he tells me to focus on the execution. If you are thinking of sending down a yorker, then it has to be a yorker; it cannot be a full toss or a half volley, a bouncer has to be on the shoulders; a length ball has to be (aimed at) the top of off (stump),” he concluded.
(With PTI Inputs)
