"Gauti's style of working is almost like a strict father" - Aakash Chopra on whether Gautam Gambhir should be India's head coach

Aakash Chopra has opined that Gautam Gambhir won't be a bad option as India's next coach. However, he reckons the move might not work if there are many established senior players in the team.

Rahul Dravid's current tenure as the Indian head coach is until the end of next month's T20 World Cup. Reports suggest that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has approached Gambhir to take over the responsibility once his former teammate relinquishes the job.

In a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra was asked whether Gambhir should be India's next head coach.

"Not a bad choice, there is no doubt about that, because he is a straightforward person. He knows how to manage and build a team. I really rate him high when it comes to the auction. However, there will be no auction for the Indian team. Gautam Gambhir, the coach, is a very strong personality," he replied (14:25).

"When there is a transition, a new captain is coming, then yes. However, if the team has a lot of seniors already, I will be a little wary because Gauti's style of working is almost like a strict father. When the father is strict, the children have to be a little careful," the former India opener added.

Chopra reckons Gambhir's authoritative approach might not work with the senior players.

"When you have very senior players in the team, you are looking for a big brother who keeps his hand on their shoulders and doesn't try to impose himself. However, that's not going to happen with Gautam. It's simple for Gautam - my way or the highway. So things might not go in your favor every time in a senior group," he explained.

Gambhir led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to IPL titles in 2012 and 2014. He mentored the Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to the playoffs in the last two editions of the league and has taken KKR to a top-of-the-table finish this season.

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"You cannot ignore it totally" - Aakash Chopra on whether Rohit Sharma's form is a cause for concern heading into 2024 T20 World Cup

Rohit Sharma has had mixed returns in IPL 2024. [P/C: iplt20.com]

Aakash Chopra was also asked whether Rohit Sharma's form is a cause for concern heading into the 2024 T20 World Cup.

"It is a slight concern. You cannot ignore it totally. It feels good if runs are being scored consistently. The only good thing is that India's starting group games are not going to challenge you much," he responded (13:15).

"Form is important in T20 cricket. So it's good that there are quite a few easy games among the group-stage matches - easy games at the start and a practice game. Form seems to be a concern at the moment but I won't be surprised if Rohit Sharma's bat starts firing once the World Cup starts," Chopra added.

Rohit aggregated 417 runs at an average of 32.08 in 14 innings in IPL 2024. He managed only 52 runs in a six-game stretch between April 22 and May 11 before playing a 68-run knock in the Mumbai Indians' final game on May 17.