Former Indian batter Mohammad Kaif believes T20I skipper Shreyas Iyer and Gautam Gambhir are yet to become a pair amid the T20I series against Afghanistan. Kaif said it is imperative that the head coach and captain builds a good bond to take India’s T20I team forward amid the transition phase.
Meanwhile, Iyer was recently given the T20I captaincy onus ahead of the UK tour. However, his captaincy tenure didn’t start on a good note, as India were stunned by Ireland 0-2. Furthermore, India suffered a 0-4 series loss against England.
India was able to get the much-needed series win of 3-0 against Zimbabwe, which released pressure off Iyer.
“I think Iyer and Gautam are yet to become a pair. When Iyer led India to a series win in Zimbabwe, Laxman was the coach there, Gambhir was not there on that tour. So we are yet to see how coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer work together because they have not won together yet. They lost in both Ireland and England,” Mohammad Kaif said on Cricbuzz.
“So from that perspective, there will be a close eye on this, as to how they build a rapport. They have many decisions to make, such as whether Sanju Samson plays or Abhishek Sharma plays? Now, for the next T20 World Cup in 2028, they have to start from here only. So, I want to see how they work together in this series,” he added.
On the other hand, India fast bowler Mohit Sharma said it is crucial that head coach and captain stays on the same page in order to take Indian cricket forward.
“It is really important that the coach and captain are on the same page. We have seen several controversies before when captains and coaches have not been on the same page. In Suryakumar Yadav’s case, he has worked with Gautam Gambhir before, and they knew each other really well. In Shreyas Iyer’s case, he has worked a lot with Ricky Ponting. So, now it should not happen that one person is saying North Pole, and the other is saying South Pole. If they don’t think in a similar fashion, it will be really difficult to get the results,” Mohit Sharma said on Cricbuzz.
Iyer would look to lead from the front, whereas Gambhir will aim to provide him with all the support.
