Gautam Gambhir’s ‘Spartan’ Approach Influences Team India as Chakaravarthy Reveals Head Coach Mindset: ‘Mediocrity Not Allowed’

Varun Chakravarthy stated that Gautam Gambhir has instilled a ‘Spartan’ mindset in the Indian team, where losing is simply not an option.

‘Spartan’ Mindset in the Indian Team Under Gautam Gambhir: Varun Chakravarthy

Varun Chakravarthy opened up about the mindset instilled by Gautam Gambhir in the Indian cricket team. Gambhir, who took over as India’s head coach after the 2024 T20 World Cup following his successful mentorship with Kolkata Knight Riders, initially faced skepticism due to his lack of prior domestic head coaching experience. While his red-ball stint began shakily, he quickly proved his worth in white-ball formats, leading India to a Champions Trophy victory.

Chakravarthy, who previously worked with Gautam Gambhir at KKR, said the coach has instilled a ‘Spartan’ mentality in the Indian team, where losing is simply not an option.

Chakravarthy said,

“I have already worked with him in the IPL, and we won that IPL, so nothing is new to me. But one thing I can definitely say is that he brings a ‘Spartan’ mindset to the team where losing is not an option. You just have to give your best and leave everything on the field. Whatever happens afterward, happens. But when he is around, there’s no mediocrity—you can’t be mediocre on the field, that’s what I feel.”

Since Gambhir’s arrival, Chakravarthy has become a vital part of India’s T20I setup and has also achieved the number one ranking in the ICC T20I bowling charts.

Varun Chakaravarthy opens up on ODI snub

Recently, Chakravarthy was dropped from India’s ODI squad for the Australia tour, despite being part of the Champions Trophy-winning team.

He spoke about his absence from ODIs and the guidance he received from Gambhir, focusing on adapting to longer bowling spells and improving his batting. He explained that these adjustments helped him perform effectively in the Champions Trophy and also prepared him to contribute more with the bat in domestic cricket.

Chakravarthy said,

“Basically, the conversations were around bowling longer spells. In T20, you can bowl a maximum of two overs back-to-back, but in ODIs, you have to bowl five to six overs consecutively, which I worked on and was able to do in the Champions Trophy. Another thing is that Gambhir wants me to bat a little higher up the order in domestic cricket and improve my batting.”

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