Gautam Gambhir became the Indian cricket team head coach in mid-2024, following Rahul Dravid’s resignation right after lifting the 2024 T20 World Cup trophy in Barbados.
It’s been almost two years since Gambhir has been in charge of the men’s national side. Gambhir’s tenure as the India head coach has been topsy-turvy, filled with the highest of highs and the lowest of lows.
On one hand, India have largely been emphatic in white-ball cricket under Gambhir, winning the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Asia Cup 2025, and T20 World Cup 2026 and grabbing a spate of bilateral ODI and T20I series. This run also included India winning all their T20I series between the 2024 and 2026 T20 World Cups under Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav. The head coach is also overseeing a transition period in all three formats.
On the other hand, the Indian Test team has endured several defeats, including twin Test series losses at home with Gambhir at the helm.
There have been heavy scrutiny and questions on Gambhir’s team selections and tactical calls, with many fans and experts claiming that India’s success in limited-overs cricket in the past two years has been despite Gambhir and not because of him.
Let us check out the five worst, most embarrassing, and humiliating series losses for India under Gambhir.
Top 5 Humiliating Series Defeats India Suffered Under Gautam Gambhir As Head Coach
Home Test series defeat to New Zealand
Inarguably the most painful series defeat under Gautam Gambhir so far remains the 2024 home Test series defeat against New Zealand.
New Zealand blanked India 3-0 with Test match victories in Bengaluru, Pune, and Mumbai to clinch their maiden Test series on Indian soil.
This snapped India’s indomitable 12-year streak at home, where India won 18 consecutive home Test series. This was also the first time in history that India were whitewashed in a home Test series of three or more matches.
Lost hold of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy after 10 years
Right after going down to New Zealand at home, India were beaten by Australia in Australia by 3-1 in the five-match Test series as Australia reclaimed the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Before the BGT 2024/25, India had beaten Australia in four consecutive Test series, but Pat Cummins’ side finally got back the BGT. Under Gambhir, India lost hold of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy for the first time since winning it in 2017.
These two series losses prompted the retirements of Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, and R Ashwin.
Home Test series loss against South Africa
It was speculated that the senior legs of the above-mentioned trio had tired out and India needed younger, fresher players. However, the embarrassment of losing a home Test series to New Zealand in 2024 was exacerbated in 2025 when India went down 2-0 to South Africa at home.
Gambhir oversaw another home Test series defeat as Temba Bavuma’s World Test Champions beat India in Kolkata and Guwahati to seal their first Test series triumph on Indian soil since 2000.
ODI series loss to Sri Lanka after 27 years
The first major series defeat India suffered under coach Gambhir was on his first tour in 2024, when Sri Lanka beat India 2-0 in a three-match ODI series.
This was Sri Lanka’s first ODI series win against India in 27 years, ending a long-awaited wait since 1997.
T20I series defeat to Ireland for the first time
The most recent of India’s humiliating series defeat under Gautam Gambhir came on the trip to Ireland, where the hosts won 2-0 in the two-match T20I series.
Before this, India had beaten Ireland in all of their previous eight T20I clashes. However, in Belfash, under new skipper Shreyas Iyer, the reigning T20 world champs went down in both matches, with Ireland registering their first-ever T20I series triumph over India.
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