Gautam Gambhir voices his support for Rahul Dravid to continue as the head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team, emphasizing that a single loss shouldn’t overshadow his overall coaching tenure.
Gambhir provides insights into his viewpoint on evaluating a coach’s performance, suggesting that considering just one match is an inaccurate measure of their capabilities. The context of Dravid’s coaching tenure is set against India’s performance in the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup 2023.
Rahul Dravid’s contract as the head coach concluded after the ODI World Cup 2023, where India finished as runners-up in both major events.
Gambhir advocates for the automatic renewal of Dravid’s contract, highlighting that the team’s overall performance should be the determining factor.
“Dravid’s contract as head coach should be automatically renewed. The kind of cricket that India played throughout the World Cup if you are going to judge a coach by just one match, then it is a wrong precedent,” Gambhir told Sportskeeda.
Gambhir commends Dravid for guiding the team to the final of significant tournaments, emphasizing the positive impact of his coaching during the World Cup. Gambhir underscores the importance of continuity in coaching, arguing against evaluating a coach based on a single match.
“Every player, every coach wants to win the World Cup. If he wants a renewal, then definitely he should be given that chance. What better than continuity? I would never understand one thing. It happened during our time in 2011, too. When you say that you want to win the World Cup an individual, doesn’t matter who that is… this statement is not right,” Gautam Gambhir added.
Gambhir criticizes Rohit’s statement, stating that such sentiments should be kept within the team rather than expressed in the media. Gambhir draws parallels with the 2011 World Cup, where similar sentiments were expressed, and highlights the importance of winning for the nation. Gambhir expresses his disagreement with Rohit’s approach, emphasizing that the focus should be on winning for the country rather than individual aspirations.
Gambhir concluded, “You are trying to win the World Cup for the entire country. And if you want to say such a thing, then don’t say it in the media. Keep it within yourself. The truth is, it is more important to win a World Cup for the nation. I was asked the same in 2011 when everyone said we were trying to win the World Cup for one individual, and I said no I want to win the Cup for my country. I picked up the bat for my country. So Rohit probably shouldn’t have said this.”
