Published 16:19 IST, May 21st 2020
Gautam Gambhir backs Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour, disagrees with Yuvi's statement
Gautam Gambhir came forward and backed former batsman and current Indian batting coach Vikram Rathour and disagreed with ex-team-mate Yuvraj Singh's statement
Gautam Gambhir has backed former Indian batsman and the current batting coach of Team India, Vikram Rathour after Yuvraj Singh had asked how can Rathour who does not have enough cricketing experience coach the T20 generation of cricketers. Even though Vikram has played 146 first-class matches, he has only gone on to represent India at the highest level in six Test matches and seven One Day Internationals. Rathour was appointed as the batting coach after former all-rounder Sanjay Bangar's term had ended after the 2019 World Cup.
'It's not important': Gautam Gambhir
It so happened that during a recent Instagram live session, Yuvi had gone on to say that even though Vikram Rathour is his friend, he did not reckon that the ex-batsman could help players of this T20 generation and also asked whether the former opener has played cricket at the level to help them.
Meanwhile, Yuvraj's former Indian team-mate and one of his good friends Gautam Gambhir countered the veteran all-rounder as he went on to say it is not important that one has played a lot of cricket in order to be a very successful coach. The southpaw also mentioned that this point can be taken into consideration probably in the case of a selector but not a coach.
The 2011 World Cup winner also added that probably one can just have a different T20 batting coach i.e. just for that particular format. At that same time, the ex-swashbuckling batsman also opined it is really not true that someone who has not played international cricket or who has not played enough cricket cannot become a successful coach.
Gambhir had said this on a Star Sports show named 'Cricket Connected'.
Yuvraj & Gambhir's illustrious careers
Both Yuvi and Gauti are two of the finest cricketers to have donned the Indian jersey and they have also been a part of many of the Men In Blue's emphatic wins that include the ICC World T20 2007, the tri-series win in Australia (2007/08), the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011, etc. The duo had made outstanding contributions in Team India's T20 World Cup as well as 50-over World Cup triumphs. Yuvraj was the Player of the Tournament of World Cup 2011 with 362 runs and 15 scalps while Gambhir scored a match-winning 97 in the final against Sri Lanka by anchoring the Indian run chase after the early loss of star openers Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag.
Updated 16:19 IST, May 21st 2020