South Africa great reacts after BCCI appoints ‘aggressive’ Gautam Gambhir as India head coach: ‘He’ll bring some fire…’

The entire cricket fraternity is certain that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has picked an ideal successor for Rahul Dravid in the form of the incumbent head coach, Gautam Gambhir. Joining the list of cricket luminaries in congratulating Gambhir on landing the high-profile job at Team India, legendary South Africa all-rounder Jacques Kallis feels players will learn a lot from the ICC World Cup winner at the Indian camp.

Two-time World Cup winner Gambhir was confirmed as Team India’s new head coach by BCCI secretary Jay Shah on Tuesday. Gambhir was an integral part of the 2011 World Cup and 2007 T20 World Cup-winning sides in his glittering career. The former India opener also guided Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to two title triumphs in the 2012 and 2014 editions. Gambhir parted ways with KKR as a franchise mentor after Shreyas Iyer and Co. lifted the Indian Premier League (IPL) trophy for the third time in his comeback season this year.

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He’ll bring some fire: Kallis on Gambhir

Speaking to Star Sports, former South Africa all-rounder Kallis shared his views about Gambhir’s appointment as the next Indian head coach. “It’s great to see Gautam getting into the coaching side of things. He’s got a really good cricket brain. He’ll bring some fire and loves playing the game aggressively. I think he’ll bring that added touch, and the guys will certainly learn a lot from him. He’s got a lot to add and will bring significant value to that Indian side. I wish him all the best—not too much against us, but I’m sure he’ll do a fantastic job,” Kallis said.

Under Gambhir’s watch, India will tour Sri Lanka for a twin white-ball series. While Gambhir has been named India’s head coach, Sri Lanka picked legendary cricketer Sanath Jayasuriya as the interim head coach of the former world champions. Gambhir has never officially coached a team in competitive cricket. Gambhir became a mentor in IPL after bidding farewell to his playing career. After his mentorship stints with Lucknow Super Giants and KKR, Gambhir is taking over from Dravid, who guided India to T20 World Cup glory in his final assignment.