I don't see that far ahead, difficult to answer: Gautam Gambhir on being next India coach
Kolkata, Jun 21: Evading queries on whether he is set to be the next head coach of the Indian cricket team, former opener Gautam Gambhir on Friday said he doesn't "see that far ahead" but provided insights into his coaching philosophy which is based on the "team first ideology".
Gambhir was speaking at an Indian Chamber of Commerce event here.
He appeared in a virtual interview with the BCCI's Cricket Advisory Committee earlier this week and is widely perceived to be India's next head coach after incumbent Rahul Dravid's tenure comes to an end following the ongoing T20 World Cup in the West Indies.
However, Gambhir, who recently played a crucial role in KKR's third title win in the IPL as team mentor, remained tigh-tlipped when he was asked about his prospects.
"I don't see that far ahead. You are grilling me, asking me all tough questions," he said.
"It is difficult to answer right now. All I can say is that I'm happy being here, just finished a brilliant journey (and) let's enjoy that. I'm in a very happy space right now," Gambhir said at a 'Rise To Leadership' seminar here.
Gambhir said putting team ahead of individuals is the bedrock of his coaching philosophy.
"If you have the intent of keeping your team ahead of any individual, things will fall in place. If not today, tomorrow, if not tomorrow, someday it will fall in place," he said.
"But if you start thinking on that, or if you know that you need to help one or two individuals perform, then your team will only suffer."
"My job is not to make individuals perform. My job, as a mentor, is to make KKR win," said Gambhir who was praised all over for his role in KKR's winning run this year.
"For me, the guru mantra is team first philosophy. I think team-first ideology, team-first philosophy is the most important ideology in any team sport," he added.
Gambhir said everyone was a leader in the KKR camp which had a near-perfect campaign this year.
"Yes I was the leader but all of us in the dressing room made the change. it was about making Kolkata proud. It was morale responsibility for me to give something back to Kolkata," he said.
The former cricketer, who also captained India on a few occasions, however said that treating all members in a team equally is his approach.
"In a team sport, it's the team that matters the most. Individuals do play a role, individuals do contribute," he said.
"But I think if 11 people are treated equally, if 11 people have equal respect, if everyone is treated equally, given the same respect, same responsibility, same honour, you will achieve an unbelievable amount of success.
"You cannot have discrimination in a set up or in an organisation," he added.
The 42-year-old, however, did not have any disappointment for not being able to captain India for a long run.
"I have always thought about performing for the fans, and that has been my thought since the last year of my training career. In the middle, I got this honour of captaining India for six games. I tried doing it to the best of my ability," he said.
"Otherwise, I have no regrets whatsoever because my job was not to captain the series. My job was to make my country win, and whichever team I play for, make that team win," he added.
He does have one regret though.
"I wish I had finished that game," he said referring to the 2011 World Cup final in which then skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni scored the winning runs.
"It was my job to finish the game, rather than leaving someone to finish the game. If I had to turn back the clock, I would go back there and score the last run, irrespective of how many runs I scored," added the left-hander, who scored 97 runs in that epic clash against Sri Lanka at the Wankhede Stadium.
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Beauty of democracy: Tharoor congratulates BJP on civic body poll win in his constituency
New Delhi (PTI): Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday, while lauding the win of the UDF in Kerala local bodies elections, also congratulated the BJP for its historic performance in his Thiruvananthapuram constituency, calling it the "beauty of democracy".
In a post on X, he said the people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in his constituency.
"What a day of amazing results in the Kerala local self-government elections! The mandate is clear, and the democratic spirit of the state shines through.
"A huge congratulations to @UDFKerala for a truly impressive win across various local bodies! This is a massive endorsement and a powerful signal ahead of the state legislative elections. Hard work, a strong message and anti-incumbency have all clearly paid off to achieve a much better result than in 2020," Tharoor said.
He said he also acknowledges the historic performance of the BJP in Thiruvananthapuram, and "offer humble congratulations on their significant victory in the city corporation - a strong showing that marks a notable shift in the capital's political landscape."
Tharoor said he campaigned for a change from 45 years of the LDF "misrule", but the voters have ultimately rewarded another party that also sought a clear change in governance.
"That is the beauty of democracy. The people's verdict must be respected, whether for the UDF overall or for the BJP in my constituency.
"We will continue to work for the betterment of Kerala, advocating for the people's needs and upholding the principles of good governance. Onwards and upwards!" Tharoor, who is the MP from Thiruvananthapuram, said.
The lotus bloomed in the state capital as the BJP-led NDA achieved a resounding win in the polls for the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, snatching it from the CPI(M)-led LDF and marking an end to 45 years of continuous Left rule in the local body.
The win in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation will act as a boost for the BJP in the 2026 Assembly polls, especially in the state capital.
Of the 101 wards in the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation, the BJP won 50, LDF 29, UDF 19 and two wards were won by independent candidates.
The BJP is one seat short of a decisive majority in the corporation.
Besides this, the NDA retained the Palakkad municipality after a close battle with the Congress-led UDF and wrested the Thrippunithura Municipality from the grand old party.
In Thrissur, from where Suresh Gopi won in the Lok Sabha polls last year, the BJP won 18 out of the 46 wards in Kodungallur Municipality, eight in Thrissur Corporation, two each in Guruvayoor and Vadakkancherry municipalities, seven in Kunnamkulam Municipality, six in Irinjalakuda Municipality and one in Chalakudy Municipality.
