Indian team head coach Gautam Gambhir has become a focus of scrutiny after a series of poor performances by the side. India’s last big victory had been the T20 World Cup in June, when former head coach Rahul Dravid was the mentor. Gambhir was subsequently supposed to be the one guiding the side during this transitional phase.

Indian Team Failures Under Gautam Gambhir’s Tenure

Under Gambhir, India has witnessed some dire performances. India lost the ODI series to Sri Lanka and were whitewashed 3-0 in the two Test series against New Zealand at home. In Australia, the side is trailing 1-2 going into the final Test in Sydney, and failure to win the final Test will knock India out of the race for a place in the World Test Championship final.

Gambhir’s Communication With Players Isn’t Good

According to PTI, “It is learnt that Gambhir is not on the same page with most of the players in the team and the communication isn’t as good as it used to be during the time of Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid.

“Skipper Rohit Sharma has maintained that he speaks individually to the players about selection issues. But after Gambhir took charge in July, Rohit, it is said, hasn’t actually given clarity to some of the not-so-junior players about why they were being excluded at times from the side.”

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Players Unhappy With Gambhir’s Coaching Style?

“It is also reliably learnt that Gambhir, who is considered a more assertive person, hasn’t earned a lot of confidence from the group of players, who aren’t as old as Kohli or Rohit but are also not rookies like Harshit Rana or Nitish Reddy,” report said.

Gambhir’s Position Not Safe If India Keeps Failing

“There is a Test match to be played and then there is Champions Trophy. If the performance doesn’t improve, even Gautam Gambhir’s position wouldn’t be safe,” a senior BCCI official told the news agency on conditions of anonymity.

Gautam Gambhir Was Never BCCI’s 1st Choice

“He was never BCCI’s first choice (it was VVS Laxman) and some of the well-known overseas names didn’t want to coach all three formats, so he was a compromise. Obviously, some other compulsions were also there,” the official said.

BCCI Likely To Take Decision After Champions Trophy 2025

Reports indicate increasing restlessness among the team as Gambhir, it is alleged, has been experimenting with the playing XI almost too frequently and has left many players insecure of their roles. The relationship with the selection committee is also ambiguous, which creates further uncertainty.

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Pressure on Gambhir mounts and with the Champions Trophy slated for February-March, his place may come under threat. The reports have already indicated that Gambhir’s performances may face some restrictions in his role or his responsibilities being altered if India fails to make an improvement in the tournament.

(With PTI Inputs)