India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has shared insights into his coaching approach and the evolving partnership with captain Suryakumar Yadav. Gambhir positions his role as offering fair advice to the captain, grounded in his understanding of the game. The dynamic captain-coach duo of Suryakumar and Gambhir has been highly successful since Gambhir took charge post the 2024 Men’s T20 World Cup. Under their leadership, India’s batting has adopted a more aggressive tempo, leading to a string of series victories and their recent Asia Cup triumph in the UAE. They are now set to face Australia in a five-match T20I series, starting Wednesday at Manuka Oval.
“Surya is a great human being, and good humans make good leaders,” Gambhir remarked. “While he speaks highly of me, my role is simply to advise him fairly based on my reading of the game. Ultimately, this is his team.” He elaborated that Suryakumar’s free-spirited demeanor is a perfect match for the essence of T20 cricket, which is built on freedom and expression. “Your off-field personality reflects on the field and in the dressing room, and Surya has maintained this atmosphere brilliantly over the past 1.5 years,” Gambhir added.
The coach highlighted that India’s T20 strategy, spearheaded by Suryakumar, is predicated on embracing risk, particularly in high-pressure scenarios. “From our first conversation, we agreed: we will not fear losing,” Gambhir asserted. “I don’t aim to be the most successful coach; I want us to be the most fearless team.” He communicated to the players during the Asia Cup final that mistakes like dropping a catch or playing an injudicious shot are part of the game. “Human beings make mistakes. Only the opinions of those in the dressing room matter,” he stressed. “Surya and I consistently agree: we will never fear mistakes. The bigger the game, the more fearless and aggressive we must be. A conservative approach only gives the opposition an advantage. With the talent we have, if we play fearlessly, we will be fine.”
Gambhir expressed that he isn’t overly concerned by Suryakumar’s recent batting form. “Honestly, Surya’s batting form doesn’t concern me because we have committed to an ultra-aggressive template in our dressing room,” he stated. He acknowledged that this aggressive philosophy inherently involves inevitable failures. “It would be easy for Surya to score 40 runs off 30 balls and avoid criticism, but we have collectively decided that it’s acceptable to fail while pursuing this approach.” He noted that while Abhishek Sharma is currently in good form, Suryakumar will eventually find his rhythm and shoulder responsibility. “In T20 cricket, our focus isn’t on individual runs but on the brand of cricket we want to play. With our aggressive style, batters may fail more often, but impact ultimately matters more than mere runs,” he concluded.