“There are plenty of people who are on the wrong side of 30” – Aakash Chopra on Gautam Gambhir needing to manage transition as India’s potential coach

Former Indian Test opener Aakash Chopra feels Gautam Gambhir will need to manage the transition in India’s T20I team if he takes up the head coach role. Gambhir is the front-runner to take the coaching baton from current coach Rahul Dravid.

Gautam Gambhir and former Indian women’s coach WV Raman have interviewed for the role. Meanwhile, Chopra feels there are many players who are on the wrong side of the 30s and Gambhir will play a key role in deciding their future.

India’s openers for the ongoing T20I World Cup – Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – are 37 and 35 years old respectively and many feel this will be their last T20 World Cup.

“Gautam Gambhir has given the interview. It’s been said that it was a virtual interview as opposed to WV Raman, who gave a fantastic presentation. I have just read that. Gautam Gambhir is the frontrunner in this race. It’s been said everywhere and we have also understood that,” Aakash Chopra said on his YouTube Channel.

“I am saying it will be an interesting tenure because you will have to manage the transition here, and that is never an easy thing. Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, Mohammed Shami, maybe Ravindra Jadeja, especially their roles in T20s, there are plenty of people who are on the wrong side of 30, 35 to 37, including Ravichandran Ashwin,” Chopra added.

With the Champions Trophy, T20 World Cup, and the ODI World Cup to follow in the upcoming years, Chopra feels it is imperative to prepare the right roadmap for Gautam Gambhir.

“In the next three to four years, when the 2027 World Cup comes, you have to prepare your team for that. There will also be a WTC in 2027 and a T20 World Cup in India and Sri Lanka in 2026. So a very important roadmap will have to be prepared,” he said.

“It’s not going to be easy because it’s said that transitions are most difficult. A very important job is to not let performances drop when transitions are happening. Secondly, transitions happen properly when you communicate well because you need to explain the reasons to players who are being retained and let go of,” Chopra stated.

India will open their Super 8 campaign against Afghanistan at Barbados on Thursday.