Why India Coach Gautam Gambhir Should Bring In Greg Chappell-John Wright Mix? Ex New Zealand Star EXPLAINS

Ex New Zealand all-rounder Scott Styris has cautioned Gautam Gambhir about adopting an aggressive approach, citing the example of Greg Chappell, as he prepares for his debut as India's head coach. Gambhir's first task as the head coach will commence with the opening T20I of the three-match series against Sri Lanka. But Styris also want him to mix the aggressive style of Chappell with the approach of another ex India coach, John Wright. Greg Chappell served as India's coach from 2005 to 2007, a period marked by significant turbulence in Indian cricket. In addition to his controversies, particularly with Sourav Ganguly and other senior players, the team also faced a disappointing early exit from the 2007 ODI World Cup.In an interaction with News18, Styris elaborated on how Gambhir is expected to find the right balance between the coaching styles of John Wright and Greg Chappell during his tenure."I look at someone like John Wright when he was in charge of India, he had a very happy dressing room from what we could understand. But then you had Greg Chappell who was quite abrasive and aggressive and it didn’t work for those senior players. I think Gautam Gambhir will look to get that mix right," Styris told. "I’ve always found captains will end up coaching just like their captaincy. And we all saw the way Gautam Gambhir was a captain. He was very abrasive, he was aggressive, he was all of those things you describe. And I don’t think it’ll be any different as a coach. He certainly has the experience. He’s an intelligent cricketer. If he can continue doing what he was doing with KKR, then India have got themselves a good coach'', he added. Prior to taking over from Rahul Dravid as India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir played a key role as a team mentor in guiding the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to victory in the IPL 2024.Gautam also had a distinguished playing career with India, contributing to their triumphs in the 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cups.The ex Kiwi cricketer believes Gautam Gambhir’s role will resemble that of a CEO in a company—emphasizing the overall strategic direction of the team rather than engaging in one-on-one player interactions. The former cricketer is expected to lead the team through to the 2027 ODI World Cup, with numerous ICC events scheduled in the interim with the first one being the Champions Trophy in 2025.