Gautam Gambhir, the new head coach of the Indian cricket team, received a surprise message from his predecessor, Rahul Dravid, wherein he shared his experiences, learnings, and expectations from the job. Upon hearing the kind words from Rahul Dravid, the 42-year-old got a bit emotional while talking about how he wants to make the nation and his predecessor proud.
Notably, Rahul Dravid left the head coach role of the Indian cricket team after taking them to their first ICC triumph in 11 years. It was under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma that India won the T20 World Cup 2024 title, defeating South Africa in the final by seven runs at the Kensington Oval in Bridgetown, Barbados.
In the latest video posted by the Indian cricket team on their Instagram account, Rahul Dravid addressed Gautam Gambhir in his special message for him and said, as per NDTV Sports, “Hello, Gautam, and welcome to the most exciting job in our world as coach of the Indian cricket team. It’s been three weeks since I ended my stint with the Indian team in a manner that was beyond my dreams, both in Barbados, and then a few days later on that unforgettable evening in Mumbai. More than anything else, I will treasure the memories and friendships I made in my time with the squad.”
I also hope that you’ll have the availability of fully fit players in every squad: Rahul Dravid to Gautam Gambhir
“As you take over the role of India coach, it is what I wish for you as well. I also hope that you’ll have the availability of fully fit players in every squad. Good luck with that,” he added.
Apart from wishing some luck to him, Rahul Dravid also talked about Gautam Gambhir’s desire to win as a player and a coach, who knows how to work with younger players, to extract the best out of them and his teams on the field. The former India captain concluded his special message by asking Gautam Gambhir to “crack a smile” even in the most heated of times, which will keep him in good stead in taking the Indian cricket to greater heights.
In response, Gautam Gambhir said, “I don’t know how to react because this message means so much to me. And the reason is not because it comes from the person who I’ve succeeded now or taking over from, but from a person who I’ve always looked up to when I was playing. I’ve always felt that thing. And I said it in a lot of my interviews. I think the most selfless cricketer I’ve actually ever played with, Rahul Bhai has done anything and everything what Indian cricket needed. So I think there is so much to learn from, not only for me, but for the next generation and for the current generation as well, that how important Indian cricket is.”
Gautam Gambhir further remarked about how he has “massive shoes to fill,” in regards to replacing Rahul Dravid in the Indian head coach role. He concluded by saying, “Hopefully, I can make the entire nation, and more importantly, the person who I’ve always looked up to, Rahul Bhai proud.”