Kolkata, Dec 19 (UNI) India’s first World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev made a striking observation on former India opener Gautam Gambhir, suggesting that in the modern cricketing setup, Gambhir should be regarded more as a team manager than a coach.
Speaking at the ICC Centenary Session of the Indian Chamber of Commerce, Kapil said the term “coach” is often misunderstood in contemporary cricket and questioned its relevance at the highest level.
“Today, that word called a coach, coach is a very common word. Gautam Gambhir can’t be a coach. He can be a manager of the team,” Kapil said.
Kapil’s remarks come amid growing scrutiny of Gambhir following India’s recent 0–2 whitewash at home, with criticism directed at frequent player rotation and an over-reliance on all-rounders.
Elaborating on his view, the 1983 World Cup-winning captain said coaching, in its traditional sense, is about teaching fundamentals, which is not always applicable at the international level.
“When you say coach, coach is where I learn in school and college. How can you be a coach when they have given a name to let’s say anybody a leg spinner? How can Gautam coach a leg spinner or a wicketkeeper?” Kapil asked.
The former all-rounder stressed that encouragement and man-management were far more critical than technical instruction at the elite level.
“I think you have to manage. That’s more important. As a manager, you encourage them to say you can do it, because when you become a manager, the young boys look up to you,” he said.
Kapil explained that creating a supportive environment was a key responsibility of both the captain and team management.
“How my manager or captain gives me that comfort, and that’s what the manager and captain’s job is, to give comfort to the team and always say you can do better. That’s the way I look at it,” he added.
The 66-year-old also spoke about his own leadership philosophy, emphasising the importance of backing players going through lean phases rather than celebrating those already performing well.
“I think you have to give comfort to the people who are not playing well. If somebody made a hundred, I don’t want to have a drink and dinner with him,” Kapil said.
“There are a lot of people there… As a captain, I would like to have a drink or dinner with people who are not performing. You need to give them confidence and that’s what happens,” he added.
Kapil concluded by underlining that leadership in cricket extends beyond individual performance.
“So I think it’s very important as a captain, and your role is not only your performance, it is also about putting the team together,” he said.
Gautam Gambhir should be a Team Manager : Kapil Dev
