India’s newly-appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir in the press conference before leaving for Sri Lanka announced his support staff. Only one member from Rahul Dravid’s core group – fielding coach T Dilip -- has been retained. Two members of Gambhir’s support staff at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate have been picked as well.
There is only one temporary member in the coaching staff. Former India spinner Sairaj Bahutule has been picked as interim bowling coach for the tour. However, the rest of the coaching staff is not finalised yet.
“Really happy with BCCI. They’ve agreed with most things I’ve asked for. This is going to be the crux of the staff. I have worked with Abhishek and Ryan earlier. The rest of the staff will be finalised after the Sri Lanka tour. Hopefully, we can have a successful tenure as coaches. Really looking forward to working with the rest of the guys, got some good feedback from the players about them,” Gambhir said in the press conference.
Gambhir’s mantra as head coach
Gambhir also revealed his mantra as head coach. He wants to create a happy and environment in the dressing room. He promised that he will have players’ back.
"I think important is to give players the freedom, that's what I absolutely believe in and not having a relationship which is of a head coach and a player. I think for me, the best relationship is a relationship which is built on trust and that is going to be very important. I can promise guys that they will always have my back. I've always said that a happy dressing room is a winning dressing. That's my responsibility alongside the entire support staff to make it a happy and secure dressing room. I don't complicate too many things and neither do I want to complicate," he said.
The team is expected to reach Sri Lanka on July 22. The first T20I of the three-T20I series will be played on July 27.
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