Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Ravindra Jadeja are among the top players in India, but as the team prepares for a new era under a new coach—possibly Gautam Gambhir—many of them are past thirty.
According to reports, the competition to succeed Rahul Dravid as the men’s national team’s new head coach is being led by former opener for India, Gautam Gambhir. A second interview session is allegedly scheduled for Wednesday after Gambhir’s Tuesday appointment with the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC). Gambhir is widely regarded as the clear frontrunner for the position, even as the cricket world awaits the official announcement. As the coach of the Kolkata Knight Riders appears well-suited for the role, former India opener Aakash Chopra has issued a warning to senior Indian players such as Rohit Sharma, Mohammed Shami, Ravindra Jadeja, and Virat Kohli.
“Gautam Gambhir has given the interview. It’s been said that it was a virtual interview as opposed to WV Raman, who gave a fantastic presentation. I have just read that. Gautam Gambhir is the frontrunner in this race. It’s been said everywhere and we have also understood that,” Chopra said in a video on his YouTube channel.
“I am saying it will be an interesting tenure because you will have to manage the transition here, and that is never an easy thing. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, maybe Ravindra Jadeja, especially their roles in T20s, there are plenty of people who are on the wrong side of 30, 35 to 37, including Ravichandran Ashwin,” he added.
“You have to have your team ready for the 2027 World Cup when it comes around in the following three to four years. Additionally, there will be a T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in 2026 and a WTC in 2027. Therefore, it will be necessary to develop a very critical roadmap,” he stated.
It is stated that transitions are the hardest, so it won’t be simple. Maintaining performance throughout transitions is a crucial task. Second, effective communication is essential for successful transitions since players who are being let go or kept need to be informed of the reasons why, according to Chopra.
