Gautam Gambhir‘s stint as India’s new head coach will begin from July 27, when Suryakumar Yadav and co will take on Sri Lanka in a three-match T20I series. The series consists of three T20Is, followed by as many ODIs, starting from August 2. Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid to become India’s new coach, whose tenure came to an end after India’s victory at the T20 World Cup 2024. Gambhir, who won the 2007 T20 World Cup and 2011 ODI World Cup, is likely to bring a different approach to Team India.

Recently, former India wicketkeeper-batter Robin Uthappa lavished praise on Gambhir, calling him an “approachable” and “empathetic” leader. 

“He has been an incredible man manager. The narrative that is set about him as a player on social media is one that is quite ‘Gambhir’. But, I think, individually, he is a thorough gentleman. He will be absolutely approachable. He is someone who is always available, he is very empathetic and he is there for his players,” Uthappa told India Today. 

He looks after his players really well and he is someone who provides security for the group. We have seen that, not just as a captain, but in his mentorship roles at LSG and KKR. We have seen the results he has produced with both teams,” he added. 

Uthappa was a part of Gambhir’s Kolkata Knight Riders squad, which won the IPL title in 2012 and 2014. He further stated that the duo of Rohit Sharma and Gambhir will be equally effective like Rohit and Dravid. 

“I don’t think his leadership style will change very much. I just think that his passion and the intensity that he brings to this team will be different. He will expect high standards, and he will maintain a high standard himself as a leader,” said Uthappa. 

“I think he will be a very fair leader and he is someone who provides security to his group. So, I think Rohit and Gautam will make a different combination than Rohit and Dravid, but I think it will be as effective,” he added.

Lucknow Super Giants spinner Amit Mishra’s remarks on star India batter Virat Kohli have sparked a huge debate. Mishra, who recently appeared on a podcast, stated that due to immense power and fame, Virat has changed a lot as a person and the relationship between the duo is not the same anymore. As Mishra’s statement went viral, the social media divided as many came in support of Kohli and criticised the spinner. Recently, former India batter Robin Uthappa also hailed Kohli for his hard work and personality.

Uthappa, who was a part of the Indian team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup, said that the former Royal Challengers Bengaluru skipper has evolved into a mature human being. 

“I have actually seen Virat kind of evolve from a brash young Delhi boy to an evolved human being. You know the evolution has been quite tremendous, to be honest. Today he’s practically reaping what he had sown 15 years ago. One of the things that has always stood out to me about Cheeku has been his conviction in himself,” Uthappa said on cricket.com/tv.

“When I listen to a young 19-year-old Virat Kohli, you know talking about himself or his conviction in himself, you’ll get mortified, you’ll be like ‘What is this dude talking about?’. “But fast forward 10 years and you be like ‘Okay now that makes sense,” he added. 

Earlier, Punjab Kings star batter Shashank Singh also came in support of Kohli and shared an interesting tale from the IPL.

“He was standing, I was standing. We were standing for 40 minutes. I didn’t even know when 40 minutes passed. Our team position was 12:45. It was 12:40, I didn’t know when 40 minutes passed. And we were talking about cricket, about technique, about shots, about mental chatter,” Shashank Singh told InsideSport.

“And the way he was answering, it felt like, keep doing it, keep doing it. It felt like, he is one of our Chhattisgarh players. He was so friendly, talking to me to help me understand. It felt so good to talk to him,” he added.

In a moving tribute to the Indian team, former batter Robin Uthappa couldn’t control his emotions as he recalled the struggles and hardships of the players after the T20 World Cup 2024 triumph. India ended a 13-year wait for an ICC title on Saturday, beating South Africa in the final of the T20 World Cup in Barbados. The past 12 months or so have been hard for each and every player, with India losting back-to-back finals (World Test Championship and ODI World Cup).

While recalling the struggles of the players, Uthappa started crying during a discussion with veteran India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin.

Uthappa, who was part of India’s maiden T20 World Cup-winning squad in 2007, suggested that the constant trolling each player had to face, including Ashwin, wasn’t easy.

“I was so full of emotions, you would’ve found me in tears. I went through each player individually, and what they have been through. I apologise in advance if i get emotional on this show, but when you go through each player individually, and what they’ve been through over he past 4-5 years — trolling, criticism — and you’ve been part of it as well, so you know what it feels like. To go through the struggle, to go through the hardships, to take the trolling and the hate is not easy,” Uthappa said Ashwin during a discussion on his YouTube channel.

This will bring tears to your eyes. Watch pic.twitter.com/mSuHEVtbcu

— Gabbar (@GabbbarSingh) June 30, 2024

Uthappa went on to continue by saying that as cricketers, every player in India has to go through harsh trolling and criticism at some point of time in their careers. Even Ashwin had teary eyes while Uthappa was narrating the same.

“I could feel the emotions of each player individually. I cried for the first 20 minutes after the victory. I went and bowed before god, saying thank you. As a cricketer who has represented India, thank you. This victory was so special special cause it was long incoming. Anyone who has played for India and represented the country knows the kind of crap we are put through. If i look at Rahul Dravid‘s journey as a coach, what an absolute mentor he has been. We say a 50-year-old man celebrate like a kid when the World Cup trophy was given to him. This is the beauty of the sport. I am so grateful to god for everyone. All of the players deserve to win the World Cup,” he added.

Rohit Sharma (L) and Virat Kohli© AFP

Sanju Samson wasn’t picked in India’s squad for Australia ODIs© BCCI/Sportzpics