'I hope they do better than...: Kapil Dev Extends His View on Team India under coach Gautam Gambhir

Gautam Gambhir is set to assume the role of head coach for Team India later this month. Gambhir will receive the role after India's tour of Zimbabwe concludes. Gambhir was appointed as the new coach on July 9th, and his first task will be to guide the squad in a series against Sri Lanka. Gautam Gambhir is expected to achieve success alongside the Indian cricket team, which recently emerged as champions in the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 under the direction of the former head coach, Rahul Dravid.

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Kapil Dev wishes Gautam Gambhir luck ahead of his coaching tenure with Indian Cricket Team 

Starting with India's limited-overs trip to Sri Lanka, Gautam Gambhir will succeed Rahul Dravid as the head coach, therefore eliminating the wait or mystery. Officially revealed on Wednesday, Gambhir skipped the Zimbabwe trip when VVS Laxman was assigned as the interim-coach. But the former India opener will take command in ten days, launching a fresh chapter for Indian cricket.

Unlike his forebears Dravid and Ravi Shastri, Gambhir has no previous coaching background. Still, he has mentored three seasons—two with Lucknow Super Giants and one with Kolkata Knight Riders earlier this year. Though he has little experience teaching, Gambhir has a remarkable record. While KKR only two months ago won the crown, LSG made it to the IPL Playoffs in 2022 and 2023. Though Gambhir lacks a lot of coaching experience, he has a strong pedigree that combines aggressiveness and balance—thought to be the ideal mix to propel Indian cricket to unprecedented heights.

Up till now, Gambhir's colleagues have expressed only favourable comments about his new position, with a significant number of them regarding him as the most suitable choice for the post. Former India captain Kapil Dev chose not to provide significant commentary on Gambhir's hiring, instead offering his best wishes to the Indian team and its players for their future endeavours. Speaking to the PTI, Kapil Dev said: 

“If Gautam Gambhir is taking up that post (of head coach of the Indian cricket team), I wish good luck to him and the team. I hope they do better than what we have done previously. I want to wish the Indian players all the best,”

GG is anticipated to help India win the upcoming World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup. He played a key role for India as a player and as a mentor for LSG and KKR. For their success, he will replicate the same or even better on the national stage as a coach.