Team India is set to kick off a long yet blockbuster home season with three ODIs and five T20Is against the West Indies, as they look ahead to a crucial Test assignment at home against Australia and the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2027 next year. Ahead of India’s home season, Head Coach Gautam Gambhir opened up about his stint with the Indian team so far, his learnings from Test cricket, and his experience of working with different captains across formats.
Ahead of India’s home season, Head Coach Gautam Gambhir shared his thoughts on his tenure in charge of the Indian men’s team:
“The two years didn’t pass in the blink of an eye. I think I’ve had my own share of ups and downs. I’ve had my own failures and successes. But again, I’ve always believed that when you take up that kind of responsibility, there will always be ups and downs. So, whether it was Test cricket, whether it is one-day cricket or T20 cricket, yes, I’ve had success, which obviously I will always cherish, but I’ve had my share of failures as well. Which again, I accept with both hands.”
On learnings from the Test results during his tenure as the Head Coach:
“I think the best part is that we’ve played reasonably good Test cricket since England. I’m not saying that we’re still not a work in progress because the amount of transition that has happened in Test cricket, especially with the likes of Rohit, Virat, Ashwin going, obviously it is very difficult to replace those kinds of players. Because the amount of talent, the amount of experience those guys had, and the amount of what they’ve done for Indian cricket in red-ball cricket, it’s not going to be easy for anyone to replace them, so it will take time. I’m sure if we keep backing the right players, probably Indian cricket will start dominating red-ball cricket for a long, long period of time. Because when you’re getting the new guys in red-ball cricket, you look at their age and number of matches they have played, you try to make them feel how important Test cricket is, because I’m a very big believer that a strong Test cricketing nation is a strong cricketing nation. So, red-ball still remains our priority.”
On working with different captains across formats:
“I have worked with four captains, Rohit, Surya, now with Shubman and Shreyas. All the captains I’ve worked with, everyone’s first intention has always been team first. And I am very fortunate that I have worked with four such people who have always put the team ahead of themselves. Ideology can change, your thinking can change, your perspective on reading the game can change, but as long as your intention is right, it makes life a lot easier for any support staff. It started with Rohit, and when Surya became captain for T20, it was a different experience with both of them. With Shreyas, I had worked with him in KKR. Before that, when I handed over my captaincy to Shreyas in 2018 for Delhi, I felt that he had that leadership quality. Now, I have got the opportunity to work with him again. With Shubman, he is young. If you get captaincy on a tour of England, that too in five Test matches, and if you push someone into the deep sea, either you will swim out really well or you will drown. But the way Shubman has handled Test cricket, it has been brilliant, and I think we will see the best of Shubman in the coming years.”
On the evolution of his working relationship with Rohit Sharma:
“Rohit and my relationship wasn’t just of captain and coach. When Rohit came into the team, I was a senior player at that time, so Rohit and my relationship is from back then. Rohit has known me since then. So, often when you have played together, things become very easy. And in fact, he knows my thinking; I know his thinking. Because tomorrow I might have some other thinking, the captain might have some other thinking, but ultimately, whatever is in the best interest of the team, if that’s the final decision, then nothing can be better than that. And that’s why I said that with all four captains I have worked with, this has been my experience with them, that everyone’s focus has been Indian cricket.”
