Evaluating Gautam Gambhir's Coaching Style: Insights From Anjum Chopra

Gautam Gambhir, set to begin his role as head coach of the Indian cricket team with the upcoming T20I series against Sri Lanka, has received praise from Anjum Chopra. She believes Gambhir is on par with any cricketer in India.

Anjum Chopra emphasised that Gautam Gambhir should not be judged for his aggressive nature. She pointed out that Sourav Ganguly and Virat Kohli also displayed aggression, which wasn't necessarily negative. "I know all of us have seen a side of Gautam Gambhir which has aggression. But aggression is not bad. Even Sourav Ganguly was very aggressive, even Virat is very aggressive. I don't think we should be judging even before he has stepped on to the park as an Indian coach, right? And I don't think we should judge him at all because of the stature that Gautam Gambhir has in Indian cricket."

Gambhir's predecessor, Rahul Dravid, was known for his calm demeanour and adaptability, especially in white-ball cricket. Dravid's ability to adjust his coaching style earned him respect from players like captain Rohit Sharma.

Anjum Chopra argued against judging Gambhir due to his significant contributions to cricket. She highlighted his famous innings in Napier where he scored 137 runs off 436 balls to help India draw a Test match after following on. "It's unfair to judge Gautam Gambhir just because he is probably a younger lot player or a younger cricketer, I don't think we should judge him at this point of time. I think it's absolutely unfair to judge him. He has been an established cricketer, match-winner, Indian captain who has given results as a captain, who has given results as an opener. He has batted for 200-plus runs and saved a Test match for two-and-a-half days in New Zealand," Anjum said while singing praises for Gambhir.

In contrast to Dravid's calm approach, Gambhir is known for his strong-headed and aggressive personality. This trait was evident during his mentorship roles in the IPL.

The Indian team might need time to adjust under Gambhir's leadership. Questions arise about whether there will be changes in their playing style or if he will allow them the same freedom as Dravid did.

Anjum Chopra stated it’s unfair to compare two greats like Dravid and Gambhir. She noted that both have unique styles and strengths. "See number one is that it's unfair to compare two established, acclaimed sports people and their style of functioning. You know, Gautam is an accomplished cricketer himself. He is no less than anyone. He might be more, he is not less. I'm not saying that he's more than Dravid or he's more than Ravi bhai or he's more than John Wright. No, I am not comparing. But Gautam is not less than any of the cricketers that we have spoken about or we will speak about," Anjum Chopra told MyKhel.Com in a telephonic interview.

She further elaborated on how different players bring unique qualities to the team: "Gautam is a world champion and in all formats, and he's been a match winner in all formats. So how one player plays the game and the other plays, the game is very different. That is why they are a part of an Indian playing 11. If everyone plays cricket like Rahul Dravid or Gautam Gambhir, then you know everyone is very similar, but the team is not made of similar people. They are different people who come together to play for the same team."

Chopra also mentioned that it’s difficult to predict how Gambhir will handle his new role since most know him only as a player or mentor: "So in my view, I have I've never kept this thought that, and personally I'm saying and saying it loud that Gautam is not like ... How do I know Gautam? How do you know Gautam? How does anybody know about him? We don't! I have not worked with him. I know him as a player. I know him as a person because he's from Delhi, but so many people know him. But how do we know how he thinks?"

She added that Gambhir himself must be aware of what lies ahead: "How we how we have seen him has been only as player and as mentor with teams? But how he takes up the responsibility and how he how he gets on to that moving bus of an Indian dressing room, even he'll be aware if he's taken up that job. Sure, he's well aware of what he's getting into," Anjum added.

Anjum concluded by stating that each coach brings their own style: "So she definitely would be having some thought about how to run this team and even if he has a different style to what earlier coaches have had, whether it's Ravi bhai or Rahul Dravid or whoever, so what? You're supposed to have a different style. You can't have the same template. You have to have a different style."