Shreyas Iyer Most Logical Choice as India’s T20 Captain, and Gautam Gambhir Knows It

 

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There was considerable speculation in the media about whether Gautam Gambhir would agree to Shreyas Iyer as captain of India’s T20 team, replacing the now out-of-favour Suryakumar Yadav.

According to me, the question is a non-starter. No one can have personal likes or dislikes influencing selection calls when it comes to the national team. Let’s hypothetically assume that, irrespective of the actual situation, Gautam and Shreyas aren’t on the same page. If that’s the truth, they don’t need to have the best of terms and don’t need to go out socially. They are professionals and all they need to do is plan and win games for India. As thorough professionals, they need to work together for one cause: serving Indian cricket. Having known Gautam well, I don’t think he will ever let personal choices influence captaincy calls, and if such a thing ever happens, it is the job of the selectors to overrule and convince the coach.

In India, we give far too much credence to personal likes and dislikes. Such things shouldn’t matter in sport. At this point, Shreyas is the best candidate to lead India, and that’s how he should be viewed. National interest and nothing else should take precedence. Not Gautam, not Ajit Agarkar, and not anyone else.

Gautam and Shreyas have worked together in the past and have won the IPL title with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). Both will be aware of each other’s strengths, and will know each other’s weaknesses. And it isn’t the first time that two strong-willed men will share the changing room as captain and coach. Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli made themselves into a very potent combination, and then Rohit and Rahul Dravid were equally good. So, to suggest that egos could come in the way is irrelevant.

All that should matter now is performance and results. Is Shreyas scoring runs and doing so consistently? The answer is an overwhelming yes. That’s what Surya was unable to do, and that’s what has cost him the captaincy. Second, can Shreyas lead India with strategic acumen and does he have the potential to do so? As captain of Punjab Kings, he has led the team to the IPL final last year and he has also captained at the domestic level. He has held leadership positions for years now. As captain of KKR, he won a title and there can be no doubting his ability.

What is interesting in this choice of captain and coach is that it could well be the pair that carries India to the LA28 Olympic Games. And if they do make the podium, it could well be Shreyas who wears the Olympic gold medal as a historic first for India.

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Also read Sky-fall: The making and unmaking of Suryakumar Yadav

The post Shreyas Iyer Most Logical Choice as India’s T20 Captain, and Gautam Gambhir Knows It appeared first on Sports News Portal | Revsportz.



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