A new era began for Team India in July when Gautam Gambhir took over the reins as head coach, marking a significant shift from the leadership of Rahul Dravid. Dravid’s tenure concluded on a high with a historic T20 World Cup triumph in June, leaving behind a rich legacy. However, Gambhir’s tenure began on a mixed note – India stormed to a commanding 3-0 sweep in the T20Is against Sri Lanka, but soon stumbled with a 0-2 loss in the subsequent ODI series.

In Gambhir, India have a coach who is unapologetically passionate and doesn’t shy away from confrontation – a trait he carried into his leadership. Known for wearing his heart on his sleeve, Gambhir’s approach is starkly different from his predecessor’s calm demeanour.

More interestingly, Gambhir shares a unique relationship with many of the current players, having been a former teammate to several, including Virat Kohli. The duo’s bond goes back to their days playing for Delhi. Reflecting on those early days, Aakash Chopra – another former Delhi teammate – shed light on the competitive atmosphere that existed between Gambhir and himself.

Both openers, Chopra and Gambhir, often found themselves in direct competition for spots in the playing XI, and this intense rivalry pushed them to elevate their games. Chopra opened up about how Gambhir, even then, displayed the kind of hunger and aggression that defines him today, making it clear that their battles for a place in the team were no less than fierce.

“We are competitors because we were fighting for one place. Our team was very good. When we were playing, only one of Kohli and Dhawan got the chance to play. The team was like that. In fact, there was no place for even Viru to open the batting. Viru batted four so that we can accommodate one of Shikhar and Virat at 3,” recalled Chopra in a podcast with Raj Shamani on YouTube.

Aakash Chopra wasn’t particularly diplomatic when reflecting on his early days with Gautam Gambhir. He candidly admitted that they weren’t friends at the beginning of their careers.

“We were competitors to begin with. He wasn't a friend, to be honest. (But he was a) very passionate guy, very hard working, and very serious about his craft. And he scored a lot of runs. But he always wore his heart on the sleeve, was extremely passionate, and could short-fuse very quickly in terms of temperament,” said Chopra further.

Born with golden spoon

Further talking about his experiences with Gautam Gambhir, Aakash Chopra lauded the unwavering “passion” Gambhir displayed as a young cricketer, a trait that stood out despite his privileged background. Coming from a wealthy family, Gambhir didn’t need to rely on cricket for financial stability, yet his commitment to the game was intense, according to Chopra.

“He's a good hearted guy, comes from a very affluent family. For that kid to have that kind of passion... he would be at the ground the whole day. He was born with a golden spoon, not even silver. It's a different journey, basically like Abhinav Bindra. Gautam has the heart at the right place,” said Chopra.

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