Rishabh Pant highlights shift in dressing room dynamics post Dravid's exit: 'Gauti bhai's strict approach is noticeable'

In a historic moment for Team India, Gautam Gambhir stepped in as the new head coach of the senior men's team in July this year, succeeding the legendary Rahul Dravid. Dravid's exit came after leading India to victory in the T20 World Cup, handing over the baton to Gambhir to maintain the team's successful streak. The challenge is immense, not only for Gambhir but also for his support staff, to uphold India's stature as a powerhouse in world cricket. The future looks promising, but the pressure is undeniably high to continue the legacy built by their predecessors.

Gambhir's coaching journey started on a positive note with a dominant 3-0 sweep over Sri Lanka in the T20I series, marking the beginning of a new era under the leadership of Suryakumar Yadav in the shortest format. However, the subsequent ODI series proved to be a tougher challenge, as India faced a 0-2 setback in the three-match series. Despite the early mixed results, there is a sense of optimism and excitement surrounding Gambhir’s tenure.

Rishabh Pant, India’s dynamic wicketkeeper-batter, who was part of the Sri Lanka tour, recently shared his insights on working under Gambhir’s leadership. Speaking on JioCinema ahead of the Duleep Trophy, where he represents India B, Pant reflected on the working styles of both, Dravid and Gambhir; the wicketkeeper-batter shares a close bond with Gambhir, both during their time at Delhi Capitals and in their state team.

While Pant praised Dravid for his balanced and composed approach, he stated that Gambhir has an aggressive mindset.

“I feel Rahul bhai was very balanced as a human being and as a coach. It could be both good and bad. There are positives and negatives, and it depends on where individuals want to focus. Gauti bhai (Gambhir) is more aggressive, he's very one-sided about the fact that you have to win. But you need to find the right balance and improve,” Pant said.

Team India will return to Test action later in September when it hosts the high-flying Bangladesh in a two-Test series. Bangladesh recently registered a historic 2-0 Test series win over Pakistan away.

Pant is nearly assured of making his return to the Test squad for the upcoming series. It will, however, be interesting to see if Dhruv Jurel, who kept wickets during India's previous Test series in England and delivered impressive performances with the bat, will retain his spot in the side.