Former India opener Gautam Gambhir believes that the added pressure of captaincy does not have a significant impact on a player’s performance as a batsman or a bowler. He highlighted the contributions of MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Anil Kumble, who were able to perform exceptionally well while leading the national side. Gambhir, who also captained India briefly during a home ODI series against New Zealand in 2010, led the team to a remarkable 5-0 whitewash over the visitors and was named the Player of the Series.
In a conversation with Sportskeeda, Gambhir emphasized that players should not let the thought of captaincy affect their batting or bowling. He stated that a player’s primary focus should be on performing their role as a batsman or a bowler, and captaincy should only be considered once their individual task is completed on the field. Gambhir’s leadership skills were further evident during his successful stint with the Kolkata Knight Riders in the Indian Premier League, where he guided the team to two championship trophies. He is set to reunite with the franchise as a mentor for the IPL 2024 season.
