“Sanjay Manjrekar’s Post Criticized Online as Anti-Gautam Gambhir”

The Gautam Gambhir era in Indian cricket commenced on Saturday as the team faced Sri Lanka in the first of a three-match T20I series. Since Gambhir took over as the coach of the Indian cricket team, there has been significant anticipation about his tenure. Previously, as the mentor of Kolkata Knight Riders, Gambhir led the team to the IPL 2023 title and guided the Lucknow Super Giants to two consecutive IPL playoffs.

With the Indian cricket team entering a crucial phase, especially after the retirements of senior players like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja from T20Is, all eyes are on Gambhir. However, former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar posted on X, asserting that the identity of the coach is not crucial.

“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.

Although Manjrekar’s comment was a general observation, many internet users perceived it as an attack on Gambhir. Historically, India won the ODI World Cup in 1983 without a designated head coach. The team then had successful stints in 2007 and 2011 under different coaches, with MS Dhoni leading the team to victory.

Under Rahul Dravid’s mentorship, India won the T20 World Cup 2024 title in Barbados, ending an 11-year ICC title drought. Additionally, India came close to victory on two other occasions, reaching the finals of the World Test Championship and the ODI World Cup against Australia last year.