'Players will be shaken up...': Former Sri Lanka cricketer on impact of Gautam Gambhir as Team India's head coach

NEW DELHI: Former Sri Lanka batter Russel Arnold has praised Gautam Gambhir 's new role as Team India 's head coach, following his appointment as Rahul Dravid 's successor. Arnold believes Gambhir’s leadership will bring fresh energy to the team and prevent players from becoming complacent.

Gambhir will make his debut as head coach in the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka, starting Saturday.

Arnold commended Gambhir's managerial prowess and his knack for achieving results. In an interview to News 18, Arnold remarked, "So sometimes players, when we play, we are able to go out there and perform, but then it becomes a challenge to get a message across, and get others to perform, which Gautam Gambhir has shown that he can do. We definitely know it’s going to be a different style."

Highlighting the importance of change in maintaining a competitive edge, Arnold pointed out that Gambhir's distinct approach could positively jolt the team.

He elaborated, "There'll be a bit of adjustment for people to come to terms with Gautam Gambhir, but I think the change is also good because then you become too familiar with one system and hence they’ll be shaken up, maybe even woken up that you still need to get better and you still need to perform a lot more."

The India vs Sri Lanka series, which kicks off with the first T20I at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium , marks the start of a new era for Team India under Gambhir's guidance.