Mumbai Indians secured a spot in IPL 2023 playoffs alongside Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, and Lucknow Super Giants as the top four teams. However, the announcement brought disappointment for franchises such as Rajasthan Royals and Royal Challengers Bangalore, who narrowly missed out on the playoffs. Recognising the progress made by certain franchises and their players, legendary Indian cricketer Sunil Gavaskar highlighted the crucial role played by Indian coaches in the development of emerging talents.
Valuable contributions by Indian coaches
Gavaskar specifically mentioned the impact of individuals like Rinku Singh and Chandrakant Pandit from Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), as well as Naveen-ul-Haq and Gautam Gambhir from Lucknow Super Giants (LSG), commending the valuable contributions made by Indian coaches in shaping these players' performances.
"Look at the progress made by Rinku Singh under Chandu Pandit, the terrific coming back to form of Venkatesh Iyer and Varun Chakravarthy, and Nitish Rana growing as a captain. Under the guidance of Gautam Gambhir, see how Ravi Bishnoi, Ayush Badoni, and Naveen Ul Haq are flowering, as also under Ashish Nehra and Hardik Pandya, who invariably find a new player of the match," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Sportstar.
Familiarity of language eases communication
According to Gavaskar, there is a notable challenge faced by domestic Indian players who join the IPL and have to interact with foreign coaches. Language barriers often pose difficulties in effective communication and understanding.
"That's simply because communication and reach are easy for the domestic Indian players in these teams. Mind you, there will always be the overseas champ who has a way with young players and can act as a guide and mentor to them. These are rare exceptions and not the norm," he explained
