Former Indian opener and current cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir is known for his aggression both on and off the field. When he appeared on former Indian head coach Rahul Dravid’s shows, it became evident that the team India will now take a different approach to the game.
Recently, in a podcast with YouTuber Raj Shamani, former India opener Aakash Chopra opened up about Gautam Gambhir, with whom he shared the dressing room for Delhi. Despite playing together for years, Aakash Chopra’s could not take off like Gambhir’s did. Aakash switched to commentary after managing to make just 10 Test appearances.
Remembering aggressive Gautam:
Recounting the old days, Chopra remembered one incident through which Gambhir’s fiery nature could be easily summarised. Chopra mentioned that once, Gautam even climbed a truck to grab the driver’s collar for making a wrong turn and being abusive.
Chopra said, as HT quoted the podcast, “Passionate guy. Very hardworking when it comes to his craft. A bit serious but scored a lot of runs. He always wore his heart on the sleeve. Temperament wise he can be very short-fused. But everyone has a different character.”
“Gautam is someone who once fought with a truck driver in Delhi. He got out of his car and climb the truck to grab the collar of the driver because he made a wrong turn and was abusing. I was like, ‘Gauti, what are you doing?’ So that’s made him Gautam,” Chopra said.
On-field altercations:
Gambhir’s on-field confrontation with Virat Kohli during his stint as a player for Kolkata Knight Riders was well documented. Also, when he became the coach for Lucknow Super Giants, both the giants had clashed once again. However, both players share a deep-rooted connection from their early days playing together for Delhi.
Test career begins:
Gautam Gambhir’s test career as the head coach for India is set to begin on 19 September, when Rohit Sharma’s Indian squad will face Najmul Hossain Shanto’s Bangladesh for a two-match Test series.
