India coach Gautam Gambhir has faced criticism from all corners following the team's poor performance in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Gambhir's methods of team management and player selection have come under scrutiny.
Recently, he received support from legendary player Kapil Dev. Kapil feels that it is the responsibility of the captain and the team to perform well on the field, and the coach has no big role in that.
The former Indian pacer also compared Gambhir's modus operandi with that of Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. It is believed that every coach has his own way of working, which he tries to implement during his work period.
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Kapil Dev defends Gautam Gambhir
While speaking to Gulf News, Kapil Dev spoke about Gautam Gambhir's tenure as India's head coach so far. Kapil believes that coaches do not care about what happens on the field, as the captain and team are mostly involved in the matter.
“Expectations are high. The coaches are not on the field, but the captain and the team are on the ground. The new coach will come up with his own ideas and hope they will serve the country better. If not then people will raise their fingers,” Kapil noted.
India's performance in the Test series against Australia was far from satisfactory. The batsmen failed badly to face Australia's world-class bowling attack while the bowling looked inexperienced barring Jasprit Bumrah, who was the leading wicket-taker in the series.
Kapil Dev compares Gautam Gambhir with Rahul Dravid and Ravi Shastri
Kapil Dev also compared Gautam Gambhir's coaching style with that of former India coaches Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. Kapil believes that Gambhir is a temperamental person who has his own ways of dealing with certain things.
“(Gautam) Gambhir is a bit of a temperamental person. He is different from Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. Every coach has his own way of thinking, so let's hope he does better for the country,” Kapil added.
Ravi Shastri is known as a great motivator and India reached several heights during his tenure. With Shastri as head coach, India have won two Test series in Australia which is no mean feat.
Meanwhile, Rahul Dravid is a man who likes to handle things calmly. Dravid liked to keep things under control and followed a process for managing the team. In his tenure, India won the 2024 T20 World Cup and also finished runners-up in the 2023 ODI World Cup.
Gautam Gambhir's tenure so far
Gautam Gambhir's tenure as India's head coach has not been smooth so far. The Men in Blue lost the ODI series in Sri Lanka after a 27-year break. A few months ago, India lost a Test series to New Zealand by 0-3.
It was India's first Test series defeat at home in 12 years and ended an incredible run. After the series against New Zealand, India lost to Australia in the away Test series even after winning the first Test.
