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Gautam Gambhir’s Role As India’s Head Coach Under Scrutiny

Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach of the Indian cricket team on 9th July 2024. He took over from Rahul Dravid, who led the team to the finals of the 2023 World Test Championship and ODI World Cup and to victory in the 2024 T20 World Cup. Since joining, India has not done particularly well and lost six out of eight test matches, losing their spot in the WTC final despite being in a very comfortable position. This has caused the fans to lash out at Gautam Gambhir’s management style, and it has now been reported that his position as head coach will be evaluated after the ICC Champions Trophy.

Gautam Gambhir’s Future To Be Evaluated Soon

Credit: Hindustan Times

Gautam Gambhir’s start to life as India’s head coach has not gone as expected, but he has a chance to win over the Indian fans in what is arguably the Indian cricket team’s strongest format. India will participate in the ICC Champions Trophy, which will take place from 19th February to 9th March 2025. India is one of the favourites to win this tournament, and winning it will certainly do wonders for both the Indian team’s morale and for Gautam Gambhir, who is currently struggling to get a handle on the squad.

A senior BCCI official spoke about Gautam Gambhir’s role being evaluated after the ICC Champions Trophy despite his contract running till the 2027 World Cup. He said:

“If India doesn’t do well in the Champions Trophy, the head coach’s position could become untenable. Yes, his contract runs till the 2027 World Cup, but the process of evaluation continues. Sport is result-oriented, and till now, Gambhir hasn’t given any tangible results. Gambhir wants to end the superstar culture that has been prevalent for so many years now. As captain of Kolkata Knight Riders in 2012, he had dropped Brendon McCullum from the playing XI for the IPL final against CSK. He has come here to dismantle the superstar culture, and that’s what has caused discomfort for some playing members.”

While Gautam Gambhir’s mindset about ending superstar culture is causing problems in the squad as the senior players don’t agree with this, Gambhir has always followed and practised this mindset. The BCCI official brought up another instance from his Delhi playing days to explain the situation. He said:

“Once, as Delhi Ranji captain, Gambhir decided that they would play home matches at the Roshanara Ground in Delhi North-West, where the pitches were green-top. But one huge superstar, who was also out of the Indian team, wanted to play the games at the Jamia Milia Islamia ground, which was closer to his south Delhi residence. Gambhir turned him down. Similarly, in the Indian team, he doesn’t want star culture to breed.”

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Gautam Gambhir’s style and mindset when it comes to selecting the squad have also been questioned. According to a former selector, Gambhir’s style has been compared to that of controversial former coach Greg Chappell. He said:

“Either you be like Ravi Shastri, who would be media-friendly, or give those sound bites propping up players, making them look like alpha males. Or be like Rahul Dravid, Gary Kirsten, or John Wright, who would remain aloof, letting the players hog the limelight. The ‘Chappell Way’ doesn’t work in India. Gambhirs or Shastris or Dravids will go, but players will stay.”

🚨 BCCI TO EVALUATE GAUTAM GAMBHIR’S FUTURE 🚨

Gambhir’s position as Head Coach will be reassessed based on India’s performance in the Champions Trophy. [via Kushan Sarkar, PTI]#GautamGambhir #BCCI #IndiaCricket #ChampionsTrophy pic.twitter.com/72jXZgk4bk

— Just Cricket (@TheJustCricket) January 14, 2025

While there are certainly problems in Gambhir’s current team and handling, and it will need to be improved very soon, BCCI reportedly also have a problem with how Gambhir’s personal assistant behaved and acted in Australia. He went on to say:

“Why was his PA sitting in the car specified for national selectors? They can’t even discuss things in private with an unknown third person in the car. Why was he allotted space in the BCCI’s hospitality box in Adelaide? How did he have breakfast in the cordoned-off area of a five-star facility just earmarked for the team members?”

While many factors revolve around Gautam Gambhir’s role as head coach that needs to be considered, one thing is guaranteed: A win in the ICC Champions Trophy will mean all of this if forgotten about. India’s run of bad form has added to the scrutiny it is under, and Gambhir will desperately look for his team to put in a brilliant performance when they place in the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy.

For more news and updates on Gautam Gambhir, keep reading GutshotMagazine.com. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Telegram.

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