"Representing your nation is bigger role": Gautam Gambhir backs BCCI's rule limiting family stay on tours

Sports News: India's head coach, Gautam Gambhir, has talked about BCCI's new rule of not allowing families to stay more than 14 days on a tour of 45 days. Gambhir has said that he is not against the rule. The rule was implemented after India's horrendous 1-3 defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy earlier this year. This decision was made by the BCCI to maintain a player's focus on the tour.

However, there is a debate about the rule in the cricketing world, which also involves former captain Virat Kohli's disapproval. He earlier said that he does not want to head back to the room and sit and sulk without his family around.

Gambhir approves the rule

In his interaction with Cheteshwar Pujara, Gambhir expressed his approval of the BCCI's decision. He said, "“Families are important, but you’ve got to understand one thing. You are here for a purpose. It’s not a holiday. You’re here for a huge purpose. You’ve got very few people in that dressing room or in this tour that get this opportunity to make the country proud. So yes, I’m not against not having families with us.”

"Making the country proud is a bigger role"

Gambhir emphasized more the fact that not many players get the chance to represent their country and that it is important to understand the bigger role. He said, "It is important to have families, but if your focus is towards making our country proud and you have a much bigger role than any other thing, and you’re committed to that goal, you’re committed to that cause, I think everything else is fine. But for me, I think that cause and that goal are more important than any other thing,” said Gambhir.

"I never switch off between games," says Gambhir

When Pujara asked him about how he takes a break between games and unwinds, the head coach replied, "That’s a tough question. I still haven’t understood how I switch off because I never switch off, and sometimes it’s very funny, and it’s very weird. Honestly, when we won the last test match, the moment we won the last test match, the first thing that came into my mind was, What is going to be the combination for the next test?”

“And when I went back in my room, I was thinking, how does that work? We’ve just won a test match. The guys have worked hard to make a comeback after the first one. I already started thinking about what the combination is going to be. How can we win the next one? But I still haven’t figured out how to switch off, honestly,” said Gambhir.