Veteran Indian National Cricket Team spinner Ravichandran Ashwin spoke about the leadership similarities between skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir. He said that both are very similar, but the intensity of the coach separates the two.
After the Rahul Dravid era, it’s time for skipper Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir’s era in Indian cricket. The former captain of the team was recently appointed as the head coach after the T20 World Cup 2024 and he started his career as the head coach in 2024. Sri Lanka tour.
Gambhir started his coaching career on a high as under him the Indian National Cricket Team won the T20I series against the Sri Lankan National Cricket Team by 3-0.
But soon after that, he also suffered a setback under Rohit Sharma’s captaincy and the team lost the ODI series 2-0.
The Rohit Sharma-Gautam Gambhir partnership will be extremely important for the Indian team. The duo will have to face huge challenges ahead as there are several Test series to come. India are yet to qualify for the finals of the 2025 World Test Championship.
The Men in Blue have 10 Tests ahead, 5 of which are against the Australian National Cricket Team below.
A lot will depend on Gambhir and Rohit how they approach it and help the team succeed in some important tasks ahead.
On the other hand, ICC Champions Trophy 2025 is also there. The tournament will be held in February-March next year in Pakistan. With India winning the 2024 T20 World Cup under Rahul Dravid, the pressure will be on Gambhir to carry forward the legacy and take the team forward.
Gautam Gambhir is very passionate about Indian cricket like Rahul (Dravid) bhai – Ravichandran Ashwin
He was asked about the leadership similarities between Ravichandran Ashwin, Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma, who will be vital for the team in the next 10 Test matches. In response, he said that both have sharp cricketing minds but have different approaches. Speaking to journalist Vimal Kumar, he explained:
“Gauti bhai is very intense. There are similarities between Rohit and Gauti bhai’s management, but Rohit keeps it light. Gauti bhai is an intense person.”
Ravichandran Ashwin added that although Gautam Gambhir and Rahul Dravid have different personalities, they are passionate about Indian cricket. He also shared his thoughts on how MS Dhoni is, saying that everyone has different methods. He added:
“He (Gambhir) is very passionate about Indian cricket like Rahul (Dravid) bhai. Both are very passionate about Indian cricket but we believe both are different. Yes, they have different personalities.
“But people are like, ‘MS Dhoni was cool, so everyone should be cool’. That’s not the case. Everyone has their own methods and we should encourage that,” he concluded.
Gambhir, Rohit Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin will next be seen in action when India face Bangladesh in the Test series from September 19.