Just a few days back BCCI announced that the position for Indian team coach would be vacant, and that applications can start for the same. It was a result of end of Rahul Dravid's stint as a coach, which lasted for around 2 years. Dravid successfully mentored the team going ahead, and will end his tenure post the 2024 T20 World Cup. Knowing that a month away, the post of coach will be vacant, Jay Shah made a public announcement. According to the sources, the names of Ricky Ponting and Justin Langer came up. And amidst all this, fortunately the news of BCCI wanting to approach Gautam Gambhir for the role started to gain some traction. And a sense of happiness engulfed the minds of Indian cricket fans.

It would be an absolute treat to watch the world cup hero of 2007 and 2011 guide the Indian team with his insightful coaching. The selfless duo of Rohit-Dravid needed to be replaced by someone who is equally selfless, and there was no better choice than Gautam Gambhir. India needs someone who can put the team above any individual or any other milestone which is not much relevant for the team. And Gautam Gambhir is the exact man who has done it all his life, and who can do it without any kind of hesitation. While his appointment might have irked a few fanbases, who he keeps on hurting because of his straightforward attitude, but the same fans would then cheer when he does wonders while coaching Men in Blue.

Gambhir is the perfect man for the role for a flurry of reasons. The primary reason is his ability to read the game beautifully and adapt to it quickly. He is extremely observant about the surroundings and has a thorough understanding of opponent player's strength and weakness in and out. He is a fine analyst of the game, but more importantly he is a better strategist. Which is why he was such a successful captain. He once whitewashed New Zealand in their own backyard while leading the team. He also led the Indian side in tests for a victory. His leadership saw most unconventional yet effective fielding setups, which blended with clever use of bowlers yielded his team results. No one ever thought of having attacking field for Dhoni, but Gambhir did. And his antics like these helped KKR win 2 titles under him.

Apart from just his leadership qualities, he is one of the finest scouts. And he is known for heavily backing the talented players. He groomed and utilized Suryakumar Yadav when Surya was nowhere near the international circuit. He picked the qualities of Surya, and gave him a suitable position in KKR. The same eventually saw Suryakumar unleashing his true prowess and making his mark in the IPL. A few years before Surya made it to international circuit, Gambhir stated that losing Surya was KKR's biggest loss, and it turned out to be true. Just like Surya, he also heavily backed Delhi talents like Nitish Rana and Navdeep Saini. Knowing their worth, Gambhir fought for these two with the Delhi selectors and ensured that these two get their deserved place in the squad. Saini and Rana therefore credit Gambhir for their success. And just like these, there are numerous others whom Gambhir has secretly helped and firmly backed.

A coach should do exactly the things which Gambhir did even when he was an active player. And the most important quality which makes him the best candidate is his outspoken nature. Be it criticizing the star culture, be it speaking about Dhoni's six in 2011 world cup final, or be it criticizing star obsessed culture of India, Gambhir never minced his words. Having always played for the nation and never for himself, he is clever enough to identify that which player plays selflessly and who plays for individual accolades. And he is upfront about it as well. At times he doesn't care about the outcome and gives opinions about the stars of the nation, when other analysts and commentators are afraid to speak in front of them. His straightforward nature at times hurt the fragile egos of new generation of cricketers, but also does the trick to make them work on it more.

And all these qualities combined together make Gambhir the ideal coach for any team. There is hardly any doubt about his mentoring abilities, as those were a reason for LSG's success in the last 2 seasons, and KKR's entry in finals this year. And going ahead the same would also help the Indian team massively, if he is given the chance. He is the kind of person who knows every single thing which can help the team, and is willing to do the same at any cost. Which is why at times often people wonder on his contrasting views about any particular player. It baffles many, but only a few know that none of those are wrong. For instance, the same Gautam Gambhir criticizes Virat Kohli today for his low strike rate, who once gave his own man of the match award to Virat in 2008, as the latter scored his maiden hundred. That pretty much sums him up.

Believe it or not, he is the exact person India always needed as a coach. And now that BCCI has decided to approach him for the role, one might see the same happen in reality. He knows how to handle the team, and he knows how to make the team members play in a way that they prioritize the team first. And he doesn't care whom he is speaking to or about when he speaks the truth which most of the people are unable to speak. In a nutshell, he is an Australian who is residing in the body of an Indian. And that makes him different from most of the other players who have played for our nation. And if he is given a free hand, the long drought of ICC trophy for India will end soon. And that is what everyone wants to see. With Gambhir coming in as a coach and mentor, it is a highly likely possibility. Hopefully everything works well and Gambhir is given the command of the Indian team for its own good sooner.