Gautam Gambhir has started his tenure as the head coach of the Indian men's cricket team with a strong performance.
The Suryakumar Yadav-led team won the first two matches of the T20I series against Sri Lanka in Pallekele. The final T20I is set to be played on Tuesday, which will be followed by the ODI series in Colombo from August 3 to 7.
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This series marks Gambhir's first assignment as a head coach for a national team. Previously, he served as a mentor for IPL teams Lucknow Super Giants and Kolkata Knight Riders.
Though he has had a successful playing career, coaching the Indian team presents a different challenge. The return of players like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, and KL Rahul for the ODI series will test Gambhir's skills further.
What will be Gautam Gambhir's biggest challenge?
A source familiar with the Indian team dynamics told ESPN that Gambhir's biggest challenge will be managing the star players.
"It is not an easy task. It is not like a franchise model, where you are the boss and you can dictate terms. That won't work here. In the India dressing room you will have to pick up the phone, speak to players, and Dravid was really good at doing that. Even Dravid, when he joined, would have found it a challenge with the landscape of cricket having changed since he retired: everyone is a multimillionaire and is a captain of his respective franchise. So that's Gambhir's biggest challenge - dealing with players," the source said.
Gambhir's approach during the selection process for the Sri Lanka tour shows his understanding of these challenges. He participated in the selection meeting with BCCI's chief selector, Ajit Agarkar, without imposing his ideas.
India is looking beyond the current series, with eyes set on the Champions Trophy next year and the 2026 T20 World Cup. Gambhir's ability to manage the team and navigate the complexities of international cricket will be important for India's success.
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