Contrasting Leadership Styles of Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir, as pointed out by Ravichandran Ashwin

New Delhi: The appointment of Gautam Gambhir as India’s head coach in July marks the beginning of a new chapter in Indian cricket following Rahul Dravid’s incredibly successful term, which saw India clinching the T20 World Cup. Gambhir, known for his candid and direct approach, is expected to bring a fresh energy to the Indian dressing room, contrasting Dravid's calm and diplomatic demeanor.

Gambhir took over on a high note as Suryakumar Yadav-led India had earlier swept Sri Lanka 3-0 in the T20I series. Momentum did not last long as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s return to the fold further saw India lose the subsequent ODI series to Sri Lanka 0-2.

Although Gambhir’s tenure is still in its early stages, it will be intriguing to observe how his partnership with Rohit Sharma evolves as India faces a busy 2024/25 cricket calendar. The real test of their chemistry will begin later this month when India takes on Bangladesh in a two-Test series, marking the resumption of India’s World Test Championship cycle.

Ahead of the series against Bangladesh, one of the most experienced players for India, Ravichandran Ashwin, spoke about the exact opposite leadership qualities possessed by Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir in an uncensored interview given to journalist Vimal Kumar. Ashwin said that even though both of them are quite adept in their cricketing brains, their concepts regarding captaincy are a little opposite to each other.

“Gauti bhai is very intense. There are similarities between Rohit and Gauti bhai’s leadership, but Rohit keeps it light. Gauti bhai is an intense person,” Ashwin said.

The off-spinner, however, emphasized that these differences in leadership styles should be recognized and understood, suggesting that they could bring unique strengths to the team.

“He (Gambhir) is very passionate about Indian cricket, just like Rahul (Dravid) bhai. Both are very passionate about Indian cricket, but we believe both are different. Yes, they have different personalities. But people are like, ‘MS Dhoni was cool, so everyone should be cool’. It isn’t like that. Everyone has their own methods, and we should encourage that,” said Ashwin further.

The Indian off-spinner last played in the Tamil Nadu Premier League and has not featured for India since March when the country last played a Test series. With India set to clash against Bangladesh, Ashwin will likely be one of the first names on the team sheet for the ensuing Test matches.

India have 10 Tests left in the current World Test Championship (WTC) cycle, which will be crucial in determining whether the team can maintain its top spot and qualify for a third consecutive WTC final.