Gautam Gambhir has expressed a straightforward perspective on the future of Rahul Dravid as the head coach of the Indian cricket team.
End of an era: Rahul Dravid’s coaching journey concludes
The culmination of the ICC Men’s Cricket ODI World Cup 2023 marked the end of Dravid’s two-year contract, initially appointed in November 2021 after Ravi Shastri‘s tenure concluded post the 2021 T20 World Cup. The instrumental role played by former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly in persuading Dravid to commit to a two-year contract adds historical context to his coaching stint.
Throughout Dravid’s tenure, Team India achieved commendable milestones, reaching the semi-final of the T20 World Cup 2022 and the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC) 2023 and CWC 2023.
Gautam Gambhir’s blunt assessment: Dravid’s Future and the need for continuity
While Dravid remains silent about his future coaching plans, Gambhir advocates for a two-year extension if Dravid expresses a desire to continue leading Team India. Commending Dravid for guiding the Men in Blue to the 2023 World Cup final, Gambhir asserts that a coach’s tenure shouldn’t be defined by a single loss.
“If you are talking about the World Cup, considering the way India have performed, his contract should definitely be renewed. It is not right to brand a coach as good or bad based on one loss. Just like players, every coach also wants to win the World Cup for his team,” Gambhir was quoted as saying by Sportskeeda.
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Navigating a potential rebuilding phase: Dravid’s continued leadership
He further points out the potential rebuilding phase for India, considering the likely absence of key players like Rohit Sharma, Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammed Shami in the next ODI World Cup, making a compelling case for Dravid’s continued leadership.
“If he wants to renew it, he should get at least a two-year extension because India will go into a rebuilding phase. We might not see Rohit, [Jasprit] Bumrah, Shami in the next World Cup. There is nothing better than continuity,” the New Delhi-born cricketer concluded.