Rahul Dravid’s tenure as India’s head coach ended on a successful note as India won the 2024 T20 World Cup title in Barbados. But now it is time for a new era to begin and Gautam Gambhir is all set to begin his stint as India’s new head coach with the series against Sri Lanka.
Before the Gambhir era began, Rahul Dravid sent an emotional message to Gautam Gambhir and motivated him for his new role. Dravid, who had an excellent relationship with all the players in the team, hoped that Gambhir would also have a similar relationship. Dravid also wished that all the players would be fit and available for all the matches.
Dravid praised Gambhir for his resilience and never-give-up attitude and also hoped that he could bring this quality to the Indian team as well.
Watch: Suryakumar Yadav openly laughs at Gautam Gambhir’s regret of ‘never using Surya to his full potential’
Watch Rahul Dravid’s emotional message for Gautam Gambhir
In the audio message released by BCCI on X (formerly Twitter), Dravid warned Gambhir about the expectations that always come with the Indian team, but also wished him every success and hoped that he could take Indian cricket to greater heights.
“Hello Gautam (Gambhir). Welcome to the most exciting job in our world as the head coach of the Indian cricket team. It’s been three weeks since I ended my stint with the Indian team in a manner beyond my wildest dreams, both in Barbados and a few days later on that unforgettable night in Mumbai. More than anything else, I will cherish the memories and friendships I made during my time with the team,” Dravid said.
“My wish is that you take over as India’s national coach. I also hope that you have fit players in every team. Good luck!” he added.
“As your teammate, I saw you give your all on the field. As your batting partner and fielding partner, I saw your resilience and refusal to give up. Over many IPL seasons, I saw your desire to win, your help in working with younger players and your drive to get the best out of your team on the field.”
“I know how dedicated and passionate you are about Indian cricket and I am sure you will bring all these qualities to this new job. As you know, expectations will be high and scrutiny will be intense but even in the worst of times, you will never be alone. You will have the support of your players, your support staff, the leaders of the past, the management. And never forget who you are playing for. For the fans, who are very demanding but always stand behind the team. I wish you all the best Gautam and I am sure you will take the Indian cricket team to even greater heights,” the legendary batsman concluded.
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For Gautam Gambhir ✉
From Rahul Dravid 🔊#TeamIndia | #SLvIND | @GautamGambhir pic.twitter.com/k33X5GKHm0
— BCCI (@BCCI) July 27, 2024
Gautam Gambhir gets emotional on hearing the message
After listening to the message, Gautam Gambhir got emotional and said that Gambhir was the most selfless cricketer he had ever played with. He pledged to do his job with honesty and transparency.
“I don’t know how to react because this message means a lot to me. And the reason is not that it is coming from the person I have now succeeded, or the person I have taken over from, but from a person I have always looked up to when I was playing. I have said in most of my interviews that the most selfless cricketer I have ever played with, Rahul (Dravid) bhai has done everything that Indian cricket needed. There is a lot to learn, not just for me but for the next generation and also for the current generation, about how important Indian cricket is,” Gambhir said.
“I don’t normally get too emotional but this message has made me very emotional, which I normally shouldn’t do. But it’s a great message and it’s a huge challenge. I hope I can do it with absolute honesty and transparency and I hope I can make the entire nation and Rahul bhai proud,” he added.
The Gautam Gambhir era will begin with India’s white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, where the team will play three T20Is and three ODIs.
