Senior Indian Players Express Reservations About Gautam Gambhir’s Coaching

The atmosphere inside the Indian men’s cricket dressing room is fracturing. While Gautam Gambhir holds the official title of head coach, he reportedly no longer enjoys the same level of authority and backing from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) that he possessed a year ago. According to a report from cricblogger.com, the coach has lost the support of various stakeholders within both the board and the team.

BCCI Officials and the Accountability Gap

The tension isn’t just limited to the players. Some BCCI board officials believe Gambhir has a habit of shifting blame. The reporting indicates that the coach has frequently attributed defeats to the players, the Centre of Excellence (CoE), or members of the support staff, while rarely taking ownership of decisions made by team management.

This perception of a lack of accountability has reportedly seeped into the dressing room. Senior players have taken the unusual step of privately and informally voicing their concerns to former India cricketers and BCCI members. There is a growing sentiment among some officials that Gambhir has not justified the significant control he wields over the team setup, which includes his influence on decision-making and his selection of preferred support staff.

The Red-Ball Struggle and Border Gavaskar Trophy Fallout

Gambhir’s record is a tale of two formats. While India secured victories in the Asia Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, and the T20 World Cup under his guidance, the red-ball results have been disastrous.

• New Zealand: 0-3 loss at home
• Australia: 4-1 loss away
• South Africa: 0-2 loss at home

The friction intensified following a humiliating loss to Australia in the most recent Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT). In the aftermath, Gambhir demanded that all players participate in domestic cricket if they wished to retain their places in the red-ball squad. This hardline approach, combined with a tendency to blame “transition” for failures—despite previously claiming there was no such transition—has led to significant criticism on social media.

Jasprit Bumrah Ruled Out of Sri Lanka Test Series Due to Knee Injury

White-Ball Slumps and the WTC Table

The issues aren’t confined to Test cricket. India recently endured a “horrendous” tour of the United Kingdom and was outperformed across all departments during white-ball tours of Ireland and the UK. For the first time in history, India lost a T20I series to Ireland (0-2) and subsequently lost to England 0-4 in the shortest format. In ODIs against England, India managed only one win out of three games.

This lack of consistency is reflected in the World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 standings. India currently sits in fifth place with a record of four wins, four losses, and one draw across nine games.

The 2027 World Cup Contract as a Lifejacket

Despite the unrest, Gambhir is not currently facing the sack. His primary protection is a contract that runs until the 2027 ODI World Cup in Africa. Given the BCCI’s reputation and the proximity of the tournament, a sudden dismissal is unlikely. Furthermore, the role is viewed as highly scrutinised and travel-intensive, meaning the board may not find a replacement willing to step in immediately.

Gambhir has dismissed reports of dressing room friction, attributing the narratives to the media. He claimed that so many things are manufactured by the press whenever a team loses.

The upcoming tour of Sri Lanka now serves as a defining assignment. With the mood within the board shifting, another poor series result could intensify the scrutiny over his tenure and potentially erode the remaining protection offered by his contract.