Former Indian batter Gautam Gambhir, 42, has a reputation for being surrounded by scandal and always seems to be making headlines. It could be his peculiar demeanour or his original perspectives on certain issues. But it appears that renowned Indian spinner Ravichandran Ashwin believes there has been a major misunderstanding about Gautam Gambhir.
Notably, Gambhir appears to have Ashwin’s support since he has apparently been shortlisted as one of the top candidates to succeed Rahul Dravid as India’s head coach after his term concludes.
In addition, Gambhir recently showed up for an interview with the BCCI committee. Dravid’s term ends in June. Prior to the possible nomination, Ashwin made a public statement praising Gambhir and mentioning a 2012 incident.
“The biggest issue with many of us is that..” Ashwin about Gautam Gambhir
It was my first time playing a whole series. Before the 2011 World Cup, I just handled drinks for the first two years. I was really confident when I started my profession because of Gautam. At the book launch for “I Have the Streets – A Kutti Cricket Story,” Ashwin stated, “I was not used to someone outside of my state (Tamil Nadu) giving me that sort of confidence.”
“There is a lot of misinformation about Gautam Gambhir. Perception is everything. He battles. The biggest problem for a lot of us is that we elevate someone to the rank of hero and ignore everyone else. This is a sport, not a screenplay for a film. No heroes or villains exist. Gambhir is an opponent. His fervour and thirst for victory are astounding. I’m incredibly respectful of him,” he continued.
It’s interesting to note that Gambhir, the front-runner for the position of head coach for India, is anticipated to make his announcement in the middle of July 2024. Recently surfaced reports indicate that VVS Laxman, the head coach of India, will be travelling with them to Zimbabwe following the T20 World Cup. Given that Dravid’s term would have finished and that Gautam Gambhir will soon make an announcement, Laxman might wind up serving as India’s temporary coach.