Gautam Gambhir, a former Indian opener, thinks being captain does not put much more pressure on a player’s batting or bowling.
He emphasized that while leading the national team, players like MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Anil Kumble were able to make a major contribution. The politician who was formerly a cricket player said these things in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda.
According to Gambhir:
“I don’t think being a captain affects a batter’s game. There have been many captains who have given great performances while being captains. It’s about the individual mindset. MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, and Anil Kumble have performed well. Similarly, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli have done it too.”
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir performed excellently within the short period he served as an international cricket commander. The southpaw was picked to lead India’s five match home ODI series against New Zealand in 2010.
Under Gambhir’s guidance, India cruised to a 5-0 victory over the visitors. He was also voted Player of the Series after scoring 329 runs in five games.
“You are selected in the team as a batter or a bowler; captaincy is an additional responsibility” – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir mentioned during the conversation that a player should not focus about captaincy when batting or bowling.
The 42-year-old stated that the idea of captaincy should emerge only after the player has finished his or her work with the bat or ball, adding:
“When a captain steps out to bat, his primary job is to score runs. You are selected in the team as a batter or a bowler; captaincy is an additional responsibility given to you. While batting, if you’re going to think that I am the captain, the ball or the bat doesn’t know that you are the captain. You are a batter when you have the bat in your hand and a bowler when you have the ball. You become the captain when you get out or complete your over.”
Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir also demonstrated his leadership abilities when playing for the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the Indian Premier League, where he led the team to two championships. He will return to the franchise as a mentor for the IPL 2024 season.