Former Indian cricket player Gautam Gambhir talked about his only regret from his playing days. Gambhir scored a great 97 in the 2011 ODI World Cup final, but he got out before the game ended, and then the captain, MS Dhoni, hit the winning runs against Sri Lanka. Recently, Gambhir mentioned that he wished he could have stayed in and finished the game himself, even though he played well. He added that if he could, he would want to go back in time and score the final run in that important match in Indian cricket history.
“I really wish I had completed that game. It was my responsibility to finish it, not to leave it for someone else. If I could go back in time, I would return to that moment and make the final score, no matter how many points I had already made,” Gambhir shared at a ‘Rise To Leadership’ event.
The 42-year-old doesn’t feel sad about not being able to lead India’s team for a long time.
“I’ve always wanted to perform for the fans, and that idea has been with me since the final year of my training. During that time, I had the privilege of leading India as captain for six matches. I did my best in that role,” he explained.
“But I don’t have any regrets because my main goal wasn’t to be the captain. My main goal was to help my country win, and no matter which team I’m on, I want to help that team win,” he further said.
Gambhir had a virtual meeting with the BCCI’s Cricket Advisory Committee earlier this week and many people think he will be India’s next head coach once Rahul Dravid’s time as coach ends after the current T20 World Cup in the West Indies.
But Gambhir, who just helped KKR win their third IPL title as a team mentor, didn’t say anything when asked about his chances of becoming the coach.
“I can’t look too far into the future. You’re really pushing me with these hard questions,” he explained.
“It’s hard to give a clear answer at the moment. What I can tell you is that I’m enjoying being here, I’ve just completed a wonderful trip, and we should celebrate that. I’m feeling really good right now,” Gambhir added.