The Aryavarth Express Kolkata (West Bengal): Team India Men’s head coach Gautam Gambhir expressed his excitement about cricket’s return to the Olympic Games, saying he would be honored to be associated with the sport at the LA 2028 Olympics.
Speaking at Day Two of RevSportz Trailblazers 4.0, Gambhir said, “I would love to be part of the Olympics. It’s a huge honour. Very few get the honour of representing India at the Olympics.”
Gambhir also shared insights into his coaching philosophy, emphasizing aggression and trust in high-pressure situations. “I was very clear from the first day. The tougher the game, the more aggressive you have to be. Come the big game, come the crunch game, you’ve got to be more aggressive,” he said.
He stressed the importance of backing players through challenging phases, explaining that squad selection is based on faith rather than short-term results: “You don’t pick a squad on hope. You pick a squad on trust and faith. You don’t lose trust after just three or four matches.”
Acknowledging the inevitability of mistakes in leadership, Gambhir added, “I’m human and I also make mistakes. Wrong decisions with the right intent are acceptable. Wrong decisions with the wrong intent are never allowed in that dressing room.”
He also highlighted the collective nature of success in cricket, crediting both players and support staff. “Success is never about one person. It belongs to everyone in the dressing room, from the players to the support staff,” he said.
Looking ahead, Gambhir noted that India still has challenges to address in the longer format: “Transition in red-ball cricket is always tougher than white-ball cricket. But if the team keeps working hard in the right direction, we will be fine.”
He concluded by thanking Jay Shah, former BCCI secretary and current ICC chair, for his trust, and explained why instinct often guides his decision-making: “I have taken all the calls on my instincts. My instincts are faster than data, and sometimes data too can be misleading.”
