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The 16th season of the Indian Premier League is in its last week, and the four-time champions, Chennai Super Kings are now into the final of IPL 2023. The top four sides namely, Gujarat Titans, Chennai Super Kings, Lucknow Super Giants and Mumbai Indians are eyeing on the title, and within less than a week, the world will see who takes the glimmering trophy home. As the undergoing season approaches its end, former India legend Sunil Gavaskar threw a light on the contribution of Indian coaches and captains in the famous cash-rich league.
Little Master highlighted the importance of Indian coaches and players in the game of players, and how they helped players level up the talent of players like Rinku Singh, Naveen-ul-Haq, Venkatesh Iyer, and so many more. In his column for a portal, Gavaskar highlighted that it was 12 times when Indian captains led the winning team, out of 15 titles so far. He said, "Out of the 15 titles so far, 12 have been won by teams led by Indians." Talking about the importance of Indian coaches in the league, he said, "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 also addressed the fact that communication is one of the biggest barriers that a few players face in the Indian T20I league, and it is why having Indian coaches is a benefit. In his words, "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." Speaking of the tournament, the team that will win the Qualifier 1 will directly advance to the finals of the season. On the other hand, the losing team will meet the winner of the Eliminator in the Qualifier 2 on May 26, Friday.
