Sreesanth Critiques Gambhir’s Coaching Approach
Former Indian pacer S. Sreesanth has voiced his concerns about the coaching style of Team India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, calling it too traditional. During a recent appearance on The Lallantop Show, Sreesanth compared Gambhir’s methods to those of former captain MS Dhoni, emphasizing that the team might perform better with a mentor figure instead of a conventional coach.
Sreesanth’s comments come in light of India’s struggles in Test cricket, particularly their series losses against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa in 2025, both occurring under Gambhir’s leadership. He expressed his frustration over these results, stating, “We need to change the coach. India requires a mentor, not just a coach.”
He elaborated, highlighting the importance of a supportive atmosphere, saying, “You must first be like a brother. Celebrating wins is great, but you can’t get angry when you lose. Just because you’ve had success doesn’t mean others aren’t trying hard. A mentor is much better than a strict coach.”
The challenges faced by Team India during Gambhir’s time didn’t stop at those two series defeats. They also suffered a 3-1 defeat to Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, which dashed hopes of qualifying for the World Test Championship finals for the first time.
Sreesanth also downplayed Gambhir’s contribution to India’s recent success at the T20 World Cup, attributing much of the victory to the players on the field. He said, “When the team won the World Cup, the praise went to Gambhir. But if Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav hadn’t performed well, and if the right bowling changes hadn’t been made, would we have won? The coach isn’t the one making decisions during the match.”
Interestingly, Sreesanth and Gambhir have shared many successes in their cricket journeys, including being part of India’s triumphant campaigns in the 2007 T20 World Cup and the 2011 ODI World Cup, where both played crucial roles.
