Gautam Gambhir succeeding Rahul Dravid as the coach of the Indian men’s cricket team can feel a bit like a calm and composed class teacher making way for a fiery and in-your-face replacement. But Gambhir and Dravid are much more than the stereotypes associated with them. Even though they have largely contrasting leadership styles, they both know how to reach the pinnacle of success as coaches. After reaching two ICC finals in 2023, Dravid coached India to victory at this year’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies. This triumph came a little more than a month after Gambhir had mentored the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to their first IPL title since Gambhir himself was captain of the Knights in 2014.
On Teachers’ Day, My Kolkata compares the leadership lessons that we can gather from Dravid and Gambhir and how to apply them to everyday life.
A composed and reactive approach versus an aggressive, proactive approach
Dravid celebrating with the Indian players after winning the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup in the West Indies Getty Images
Yes, Dravid once flung his cap in anger during an IPL match between Rajasthan and Mumbai. And yes, Gambhir can be mistaken for a monk for large parts of a game, when he is processing everything from the dugout. But the two Indian greats are known for other traits. Dravid’s composure lies mostly in being reactive, in letting the game flow and having the nous to suggest tweaks whenever needed. This came in particularly handy when oiling the well-functioning machine that was the Indian team during last year’s 50-over World Cup. Gambhir is much more aggressive and proactive, seeking to put his stamp on his team’s identity from the get-go. Case in point being his relentless support for Sunil Narine as opener for KKR. Neither approach is foolproof, but both have proven immensely rewarding because they allow Gambhir and Dravid to back their strengths and shape their teams in their image.
Believing in specialists versus nurturing all-rounders
Gambhir with Chandrakant Pandit during the former’s spell as mentor of KKR TT archives
Under Dravid, Team India had a clear strategy — every player has a specialised role which they have to execute to the tee. With the exception of Hardik Pandya, no player in the Indian team that made two World Cup finals in the last year featured an out-and-out all-rounder. Gambhir’s mantra is exactly the opposite — everyone should be able to do everything. So much so that even Rinku Singh and Riyan Parag have turned into game-changing off-spinners. While Dravid’s method was safer in that it is easier to execute in the short-run, Gambhir’s entails calculated risks in the hope of long-term rewards. This difference in managing talent can prove particularly instructive in corporate life, where managers often struggle to understand whether resources should focus on hyper-specialisation or become master generalists.
Reserved versus outspoken
Dravid and Rohit Sharma made for a formidable coach-captain partnership for India Getty Images
Prim and proper, reserved and respectful, Dravid is never one to court the headlines. Gambhir, for his part, has always taken pride in wearing his heart on his sleeve. While Dravid’s sedate way of handling the media can keep the temperature low around the team and the captain, Gambhir’s penchant for controversial claims (he once said he preferred Marcus Rashford over Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, sending the internet into meltdown!) draws attention to himself, putting less pressure on his players. While markedly different in their public personas, what unites Dravid and Gambhir as leaders is their no-nonsense approach and their candid comments in public. Neither is one to resort to euphemism, which makes them effective communicators, something a lot of CEOs and even politicians can learn from.
The will to win
Gambhir and Dravid had some memorable partnerships together during their playing careers, especially in Test cricket Getty Images
No matter their divergent ways of coaching, Dravid and Gambhir love to win. Gambhir, of course, said as much during a viral podcast episode with Ravichandran Ashwin. But serial winners like Dravid and Gambhir don’t endlessly obsess over results. Rather, they focus on the process — something another great leader Mahendra Singh Dhoni knows a thing or two about! Whereas Dravid believes in incremental improvements using largely conventional ideas, Gambhir’s process is more radical, but just as effective. Having said that, there are days when the process goes out of the window and all that is required to triumph is the champion’s instinct. While they can no longer step out with the bat to inspire their teams to glory, Dravid and Gambhir can teach us how the winning instinct is infectious. Even when things go haywire, the energy they transmit in the dressing room can act as the X-factor in dragging their teams over the line.