Gambhir’s ‘Hardik’ welcome for Surya!

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Gautam Gambhir indeed played pivotal roles in India’s victories in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, even though he didn’t win the Man of the Match awards in those finals. His crucial innings in both proved instrumental in India’s triumphs. The 2007 T20 World Cup final saw Gambhir score 75, setting a strong foundation for India’s total, yet Irfan Pathan was awarded the Man of the Match for his exceptional bowling performance. In the 2011 World Cup final, Gambhir’s resilient 97 runs were key to India’s successful chase, but MS Dhoni’s unbeaten 91 and match-winning six clinched him the Man of the Match award.

Gambhir taking up the coaching role with India reflects his desire to contribute further to Indian cricket and address any unfinished business. His experience as a player, particularly in high-pressure situations, is invaluable and likely to shape his approach to coaching. And it is here that his first shot – of being party, or even maybe principal executor of the move to remove Hardik Pandya as the next T20I captain – reflects his desire to reshape and re-strategise the team under his vision.

As the India coach, Gambhir’s primary goal would be to build a cohesive and successful team, rather than seeking personal credit for the team’s achievements. Gambhir’s tenure as Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) captain, where he led the team to two IPL titles, highlighted his ability to lead and strategize effectively. And he did it as coach too, steering the Knights to a title win a few months ago.

Fast forward now to him being appointed as the Indian men’s team coach. Gambhir would naturally be expected to bring his leadership philosophy and tactical acumen to the forefront. It’s important to note that coaching at the national level comes with its own set of challenges and responsibilities.

The soft push in and around media circles would be that Gambhir’s focus would be on creating a winning environment, fostering team spirit, and developing players’ skills. If the team succeeds under his guidance, he will inevitably receive recognition, but the primary aim would be the team’s success. But it’s important to remember India won the T20 World Cup barely three weeks ago. So the primary job for the new coach would be to ensure the winning way isnt broken, to start with.

The former Delhi opener has surely come out with a bold move as his opening gambit; replacing the T20I captain-in waiting, without rhyme or reason. If there is any thought that has been applied to perform this move, the former Delhi dasher must explain in open communication to the Indian cricket fan. It’s all good to openly talk about empowering ageing Caribbean superstars for one last hurrah in the IPL. It is, however, a completely different ball game when you decide against Hardik Pandya as the new T20I captain.

Signaling his intent to shape the team according to what he feels best, Gambhir’s move indicates his commitment to making tough calls that he believes are in the best interest of the team, rather than solely seeking personal accolades. But here again, we return to the age-old proverb with the proverbial undertone – why fix something that ain’t broken?

The decision to replace Hardik as the T20I captain with Surya Kumar Yadav could be based on his assessment of what the team needs to achieve success in the future. So pray tell the common Indian cricket fan, what’s wrong with Hardik as India’s T20I captain?

Is Gambhir pointing out what he may perceive to be a mistake made by his predecessor Rahul Dravid who had the same Pandya as deputy to Rohit Sharma as India won the T20 World Cup? Or is it that the new coach, fuelled by the desire to start with a strong imprint by himself, is tearing out the fabric of the team?

Gambhir has forever been strong on the frontfoot, more so during his million-dollar IPL coaching gigs with KKR. Will he continue in the same vein, and if he does, his time starts now – the need of the hour is an open session with the media where he explains his rationale behind selecting a new captain. Slinking away behind a BCCI media release is totally not Gambhir-esque.

Successful teams often have a coach and captain who work well together and share a common understanding of how the team should be led. While it’s natural for a coach to receive credit for the team’s success, it’s also important to acknowledge the contributions of the players and the captain.

Gambhir’s ultimate goal should be to create a successful team rather than seeking personal glory moulded by his fine tuning of specifics. However, public perception and internal dynamics can sometimes paint a different picture. Social media is abuzz with conspiracy theories about the soft-spoken captain like Surya being a perfect recipe for Gambhir to take all the credit like he did after winning the IPL title with KKR this season. Much like all glory being heaped upon Pep Guardiola when Barcelona, and then Man City became la invincibles. But hey Gauti, if that’s the case, then please do remember, this aint football!

The way it looks as of now, it seems the new coach will be hailed as a visionary if his gambit pays off, and India wins big tournaments.
Will he then be unafraid to take the credit? So what if he has just joined as the head coach of the team? Does he have a plan and a guarantee for success for the future which has convinced the BCCI?

Some who have closely observed Gambhir work as a captain and mentor in the IPL aren’t too hopeful while others are saying that he has already made his mark as a coach. Whatever the inside story, Gambhir has just done what the anti-Hardik Pandya lobby wanted him to do. To know who all are there in that group, almost most of the stakeholders voted for Surya, otherwise, removing an almost crowned captain couldn’t have been so easy.

Gambhir may have a mind of his own like Hardik but he must have taken inputs from the outgoing T20I captain Rohit Sharma and selectors headed by Ajit Agarkar.

Even the board officials had no choice and not even the powerful corporate who own teams in IPL. In one fell swoop, Hardik Pandya has been stripped of his rightful claim to be India’s next white ball captain. As for Surya, with due respect, he may never have dreamt of leading the Indian T20I team leaving aside an IPL franchise.

Three weeks after being crowned world champions in the shortest format, Indian cricket is now looking for refuge as the public glare trains the spotlight on what is likely the latest chapter in the game of thrones that this country and its cricketers have had to endure for ages.

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