'No correlation' - Sanjay Manjrekar downplays role of Gautam Gambhir as coach

Former India cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has doused all the hype surrounding newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir, as the former India opening batter is all set for his first match as head coach of the Men in Blue, taking Sri Lanka just a few hours away. Notably, the two-time ICC World Cup winning member Gautam Gambhir, who had replaced legendary Rahul Dravid, has big shoes to fill, and there has been a plethora of outside noise and expectations set by cricketing fans and pundits.

Speaking about the same subject, Sanjay Manjrekar has urged the cricketing fraternity to take Gambhir as head coach easy rather than making big hype. Reminding the fans, players, former cricketers, and pundits, the well-known cricket commentator said that this game is all about team over individual.

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The former India cricketer makes sure that the pages of Indian cricket history are brushed through. Notably, of the four times India has won the World Cup title, only two times have they had great coaches. In the same vein, the cricketer turned analyst came up with an audacious claim and reiterated that it's time to pay attention to the whole team and game rather than give the whole attention and channel all of the energy to newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir.

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Time we stop thinking there is a direct correlation: Sanjay Manjrekar

Gambhir was officially appointed as Dravid's successor shortly afterwards, knowing that it was only a formality. Gambhir's entrance has greatly enhanced the Indian cricket scenario. The 42-year-old cricketer just guided the Kolkata Knight Riders to their third IPL title as a mentor, having earlier led them to wins in 2012 and 2014 as a skipper. With the former India batter turning into the team's new head coach, there's no shortage of energy as Indian cricket finally enters the Gambhir-Suryakumar Yadav era. However, as Manjrekar reminded us, Team India's chances of winning are greater if there is less hype.

No coach, Lalchand Rajput, Gary Kirsten & Dravid. Coaches when India won WCs in 1983, 2007, 2011 & 2023.
It’s really about Indian cricket, not who the coach is. Time we stop thinking there is a direct correlation.

— Sanjay Manjrekar (@sanjaymanjrekar) July 27, 2024

"No coach, Lalchand Rajput, Gary Kirsten & Dravid. Coaches when India won WCs in 1983, 2007, 2011 & 2023. It's really about Indian cricket, not who the coach is. Time we stop thinking there is a direct correlation," Manjrekar wrote on X.

Also Read: Rahul Dravid's special message for his successor Gautam Gambhir

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