New Delhi: Gautam Gambhir has done great work so far as the head coach of the Indian team and has enjoyed tremendous success in white-ball cricket. The team’s performance in Test cricket under Gambhir was heavily scrutinised, but India seemed to have turned a corner after pulling off a hard-fought 2-2 draw in the recently concluded Test series against England.
Gambhir’s decision to head into a challenging series in England with a young team and a young captain – Shubman Gill in charge was questioned by many. However, India produced a stellar batting display, while the bowlers too did well as the visitors pulled off a miraculous victory in the final 5th Test at The Oval to draw the series.
Though Gambhir is under no significant pressure yet, there are always talks about which other former Indian cricketers can make good coaches. One name that stands out is that of former India captain MS Dhoni. Many believe Dhoni, who is arguably one of the best minds in cricket, will make an excellent coach if he ever agrees to the job.
However, former India cricketer Aakash Chopra believes Dhoni might not take up the India head coach role even if he were offered a chance. Chopra feels coaching the Indian team is a demanding job and will keep Dhoni away from his family almost throughout the year, and the packed schedule might be the reason behind his decision to not take up the top job.
“That is a big one. I don’t think he is interested. Coaching is a difficult job. Coaching keeps you as busy as you were when playing, and sometimes even more than that. You have a family, and you say that you have done the same thing your entire life, you have lived your life out of a suitcase, and you don’t want to do that job now,” Chopra said on his YouTube channel.
“That is why a lot of players don’t get into coaching, and even if they do, it’s a two-month IPL stint. However, if you become a full-time Indian head coach, it’s a commitment of 10 months in a year. I don’t know whether Dhoni would have that much time. I will be amazed if he has that much time,” he added.
Dhoni has served as India’s mentor during the T20 World Cup in 2021. He came on board for free and joined the Indian support staff as a mentor, having led CSK to the IPL title right before the T20 World Cup that year. Ravi Shastri was the head coach of the Indian team at the time. India endured a dismal campaign in the tournament and failed to reach the knockout stage.