Team Head Coach Gautam Gambhir has broken the silence about his coaching philosophy and the leadership transition in a very honest and candid conversation with Aakash Chopra. Speaking ahead of the second Test against West Indies in his hometown Delhi, the former India opener stressed that the Indian Cricket Team belongs to the captains, and not the coaches.
The southpaw who succeeded Rahul Dravid as the coach in July 2024 spoke about giving complete freedom and ownership to India's two captains, Shubman Gill and Suryakumar Yadav, who are the leaders for India.
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“Ultimately, Suryakumar Yadav is still the leader of the T20I team. It’s his T20 team, not mine. It’s Shubman’s Test and ODI team, not mine,”Gambhir told Aakash Chopra, as reported by JioHotstar.
Gambhir praises Suryakumar's champion mindset
Gambhir also lavished praise on Surya's mindset and his fearless approach in creating a nice atmosphere in the dressing room, one that led the team to remain unbeaten and clinch the Asia Cup 2025 title.
“The kind of character that Surya is, that’s precisely what you want in T20 cricket. He himself is so free, whether with the bat in the middle or off the field. T20 cricket is all about freedom. It’s about expressing yourself. Jaisa character aapka hoga off the field, waisi hi personality hogi on the field. And the character you have will also reflect in the dressing room vibe. The way he has kept the team atmosphere for over a year in the side… look at the results as well. It’s high-risk and high-reward cricket,” Gambhir said.
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The southpaw revealed his first conversation to Surya when he became the coach was not to become the most successful coach, but to create the most fearless team.
“The first conversation I had with Surya was, We will not fear losing. I don’t want to be the most successful coach in the history of Indian cricket. We’d rather be the most fearless team.
Logon ki opinions matter nahi karni chahiye because they’re not experiencing the pressure that we are.”
Gambhir added that such a mindset creates a positive vibe in the team, helping players stay relaxed and perform well under pressure. Having clearly stated his mantra, it would be interesting to watch whether India plays with the same fearless approach for the upcoming white-ball series Down Under.
