Gautam Gambhir: My job is to make right decisions, not popular ones

Gautam Gambhir made it clear that players will be given longer rope to bring a sense of security in the dressing room. | Photo Credit: AFP

India head coach Gautam Gambhir asserted on Sunday that he is there not to make everyone happy but to take right decisions than popular ones.

Both Gambhir and captain Shreyas Iyer have come under scrutiny for not playing teenage sensation Vaibhav Sooryavanshi consistently. The coach, however, made it clear that players who have done well previously will be given longer rope despite influx of talent waiting on the bench.

“First of all, my job is not to make everyone happy. My job is to take the right decisions, not the popular decisions. And that is what I’m there for,” Gambhir told the broadcasters ahead of the fifth T20I.

“It is very easy to take the popular decision. But for me, I think the important thing is to take the right decision and make sure that there is a lot of security inside the dressing room.

“Because, as you just mentioned, there’s a lot of talent. But again, I think guys who have done phenomenally well over a longer period of time obviously deserve a longer rope. And that is exactly how we approach the series.”

The India T20I squad has had a packed schedule starting September with three-match series against Afghanistan before flying to Japan for Asian Games and a one-off T20I. The team then flew back and immediately played a five-match series against West Indies and then flew to New Zealand for another five more games.

“It’s been a very short turnaround as well. We finished off on the 17th, flew on the 18th. We had one practice session. I’ve got to give it to the boys, the way they adapted to the conditions,” Gambhir said.

“A lot of boys are coming here for the first time. And we all know how dangerous New Zealand is in their own backyard. So again, obviously, the guys adapted really well,” he added.