Published - | Updated - February 14, 2023 07:08 am
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Gary Kirsten was maybe the most successful coach of the Indian Cricket team, along with Ravi Shastri. As he helped India win the World Cup for the second time in 28 years, Kirsten’s achievements in 2011 may be judged to be of greater grandeur. He and MS Dhoni also had a fantastic working relationship, which was essential to the team’s success.
MS Dhoni and Gary Kirsten shaped the Indian cricket team for well over a decade. Additionally, they produced athletes who subsequently helped the national team win multiple matches, like Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, and Shikhar Dhawan, among others.
In a conversation with Adam Collins for the YouTube show “The Final Word cricket podcast,” Kirsten recalled the time leading up to his selection as the head coach of the Indian team in December 2007. He also talked about how Dhoni remained committed to guiding his team to victory despite the superstar mentality that was prevalent at the time.
A squad that battles for the name on the front of the shirt rather than the name on the back is what every coach wants. India is a challenging place where there is a lot of publicity for particular superstars and where you easily lose sight of what your own needs are.While all was going on, Dhoni stood out as a leader because he was so dedicated to the club’s success, outspoken about wanting to win trophies and have tremendous success, and he was. To put it simply, many more players signed up as a consequence, and Sachin also started to enjoy the game, he added.
Kirsten went on to claim that the unexpected partnership he and Dhoni formed helped the Indian cricket team achieve great success.
“MS and I formed the most unusual captain-coach combo you can ever think, and we end up having this fantastic experience together,” he said, referring to their partnership during international games.