"He is a fantastic thinker of the game" - Mitchell Starc hails Team India coach Gautam Gambhir ahead of 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy

Australian pacer Mitchell Starc praised Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir as a 'fantastic thinker of the game' ahead of the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The duo were recently part of the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) setup, with Starc bought by the franchise as the most expensive buy in IPL history and Gambhir playing the role of a mentor.

KKR enjoyed one of the greatest seasons in tournament's history, winning nine and losing only three out of their 14 league outings to finish atop the points table. They brushed aside the SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 1 and the grand finale to clinch their third IPL title after 2012 and 2014.

Speaking to Star Sports, Starc praised Gambhir for his team-first mentality and the ability to think about the game.

"I mean, speaking from my experience at Kolkata, he is a fantastic thinker of the game. He's always thinking about the opponent and how to get them out as a bowling attack or how to score runs as a batting attack. It's not just individual players it's always about the team focus and how to get on top of little things that he might see in techniques or in a field placement or anything like that," said Starc.

He added:

"The nine weeks that I spent with him were fantastic. In a T20 setup, I know that he's got some good things."

Mitchell Starc endured a dismal league stage of IPL 2024 but came up big in the Qualifer and final with match-winning spells. The left-arm seamer finished with 17 wickets in 14 completed games at an average of 26.11 and an economy of 10.61.

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Gautam Gambhir celebrates his 43th birthday today

Gautam Gambhir celebrates his 43rd birthday today (October 14), having taken over as India's head coach in July.

Gambhir played a key role in India's 2007 T20 and 2011 ODI World Cup triumphs as a player. He was also pivotal to the side becoming No.1 in the world in Tests in the late 2000s.

Gambhir's exploits as a player and mentor with KKR helped him become India's head coach, replacing Rahul Dravid. The former batter started his coaching stint with a mixed bag, winning the T20Is 3-0 in Sri Lanka before suffering a shocking 0-2 loss to the same opponent in the ODIs.

However, things have trended north since, with India demolishing Bangladesh by 2-0 and 3-0 margins in the Test and T20I series at home.

They will begin their three-Test home series against New Zealand in Bengaluru on October 16 before heading to Australia for the all-important Border-Gavaskar Trophy, starting on November 22.