Gautam Gambhir has said that he is not bothered by outside noise or criticism. He said his job is to win trophies for India, and that is all he cares about. He made these comments in Colombo ahead of the second Test against Sri Lanka.
Since Gambhir took over as head coach, the team’s record has not been great. India lost two home series against New Zealand and South Africa and were beaten badly in Australia. The only positive result in Tests under him was a 2-2 draw against England away from home.
When asked about the criticism, Gambhir said he does not care about views or likes. He said that is the difference between him and everyone else.
He was also asked about his relationship with selection committee chairman Ajit Agarkar. He said their discussions are only about how to move forward and make the right decisions for Indian cricket.
Gambhir said rankings do not matter. He said India are not struggling and have played reasonable Test cricket since the England tour.
On Kuldeep Yadav, who was not selected for the second Test, Gambhir said he is a good bowler but it is up to the captain to decide how to use him. He praised Manav Suthar and Devdutt Padikkal for their performances in the first Test. He said players need to be backed and given a longer run.
He also said he would prefer a three-match Test series instead of two. He felt that if a team loses the first Test, the other team cannot make a comeback and can only try to draw the series.
Venkatesh Prasad Questions Gautam Gambhir Over Kuldeep Yadav’s Absence
Venkatesh Prasad criticized the Indian team management after Kuldeep Yadav was left out of the playing XI for the second Test against Sri Lanka in Colombo. India handed a Test debut to 33-year-old Saransh Jain, who became India’s oldest Test debutant in the 21st century.
Skipper Shubman Gill said at the toss that Kuldeep was unavailable due to an infection. Prasad appeared unconvinced by the explanation. He said it would be interesting to see what kind of infection Kuldeep had. He also said the least the team management could do was be honest about such decisions.
The BCCI later said Kuldeep had not fully recovered from his viral illness. They added that he could take the field as a concussion substitute if required.
Sri Lanka made two changes to their side. Kamil Mishara made his Test debut. Pasindu Sooriyabandara, who was a concussion substitute in the previous Test, was officially included. Dinesh Chandimal missed out due to injury.
Gautam Gambhir: India’s Most Successful Coach With Two ICC Trophies
Gautam Gambhir became the most successful coach in Indian cricket history by winning two major ICC trophies. He is the only Indian head coach to win both the Champions Trophy 2025 and the T20 World Cup 2026.
When Gambhir took over in mid-2024, expectations were extremely high. He was already a polarizing figure, and his tenure has been marked by extreme criticism. It was especially after India’s poor performances in Test cricket. India lost their unbeaten home streak and struggled in red-ball cricket. But in T20 cricket, his approach has worked.
The difference can be seen by comparing the 2022 and 2026 T20 World Cup semi-finals. In both years, India faced England and batted first. In 2022, India scored 168. England chased it down easily. In 2026, India scored 253, the highest total in a T20 World Cup knockout game. Three days later, they scored 255 in the final. The message was clear. Personal milestones no longer mattered. Risk-taking was the motto.
His tactical instincts have also been sharp. Before the Champions Trophy 2025, he promoted Axar Patel to No. 5 in the ODI batting order. That allowed KL Rahul to bat at No. 6 and handle tricky chases. He also picked mystery spinner Varun Chakravarthy for the ODI squad in Dubai. Chakravarthy ended up as India’s joint-highest wicket-taker.
Gambhir has also championed every contribution, no matter how small. In a do-or-die Super 8 game against West Indies, Sanju Samson scored 97 off 50 balls. But Gambhir reserved special praise for Shivam Dube, who scored 8 runs off 4 balls at a crucial moment. He said Dube’s two boundaries were as important as Samson’s 97 because without them, the chase would not have been possible.
FAQs
Q. What does Gautam Gambhir care about most?
A. Gambhir said he only cares about winning trophies for India.
Q. Does Gambhir worry about criticism?
A. No. Gambhir said he ignores outside noise and criticism.
Q. Why did Kuldeep miss the second Test?
A. The BCCI said he had not fully recovered from illness.
Q. Who made his Test debut for India instead?
A. Saransh Jain made his Test debut in Colombo.
Q. What did Gambhir say about Ajit Agarkar?
A. Gambhir said their discussions focus on making decisions for Indian cricket.
Q. Why does Gambhir prefer three-Test series?
A. Gambhir believes teams need more chances to make comebacks.
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