Dale Steyn praises Gautam Gambhir’s aggression as he becomes India's new head coach

Former South African fast bowler Dale Steyn has expressed his excitement over Gautam Gambhir's appointment as India's new head coach. Following Rahul Dravid’s departure after the T20 World Cup, Gambhir was chosen for the role after several discussions and interviews.

Steyn, who has faced Gambhir both in international cricket and the IPL, praised the former Indian opener and described himself as a fan. Steyn highlighted Gambhir’s aggressive style of play and believes that cricket needs more players with such a fierce attitude.

“I’m a big fan of Gautam Gambhir. I love his aggression: he’s one of the few Indians that I played against that kinda came back at you. I like it. I think he’s going to take it into the dressing room. Not just India, but world cricket needs guys who are a little bit more aggressive and play the game a little bit harder,” Steyn told Star Sports.

Steyn also noted that Gambhir’s personality off the field is quite different, calling him a street-smart cricketer and a gentleman.

“We all play in the leagues against each other and we become quite friendly. I like the way Gambhir is fierce on the field but a gentleman off the field. He’s street-wise and a very smart cricketer from that point of view, he’s going to be fantastic for the Indian team,” he further added.

Former all-rounder Jacques Kallis also praised Gambhir, who he played alongside in the Kolkata Knight Riders. Kallis expressed his happiness at seeing Gambhir move into coaching and believes he will bring great value to the Indian team.

“Great to see Gauti getting into the coaching side of things. He’s got a really good cricket brain on him. He’ll bring some fire. Loves playing the game aggressively. He’ll bring that added touch and the guys will learn a lot from him. He’s got a lot of add… he will add a lot of value to that Indian team,” Kallis said.