Gautam Gambhir has come under heavy scrutiny after a series of poor results.© PTI
Gautam Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid as head coach of the Indian team in July last year, with the latter bowing out in style as the Rohit Sharma-led side won the T20 World Cup in Barbados. Fans had a lot of expectation from Gambhir, especially after he earned the credit of successfully masterminding Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR)’s return to the summit. However, fast forward to January 2025, Gambhir’s stint as head coach has turned out to be rather controversial.
A 0-3 loss at home to New Zealand, followed by a defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia after 10 long years, Gambhir’s future as head coach now hangs in balance.
Former India captain Kapil Dev has shared his views on Gambhir, saying that while the expectations are always high, its up to the players to take the responsibility too.
“The expectations are high. The coaches are not on the field, but the captain and the team are on the ground. A new coach will come out with his own ideas and hope it will serve the country in a better sense. If he’s not, then people will raise their finger,” Kapil told Gulf News.
Kapil also labelled Gambhir as a “slightly temperamental” character, as compared to the likes of former head coaches Ravi Shastri and Dravid.
“Gambhir is a slightly temperamental person. He’s different from Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. Every coach has his own way of thinking, so let’s hope he will do better for the country,” he added.
Apart from Gambhir, his ssistant coaches Abhishek Nayar and Ryan ten Doeschate are already being scrutinised by the BCCI, with the importance of their roles reportedly being questioned.
A recent report also revealed that bowling coach Morne Morkel was reprimanded by Gautam Gambhir during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy tour for arriving late to training.
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