Gautam Gambhir’s contract as Team India head coach runs until 2027, but his future hinges on upcoming series

He is less than four months into his stint as Team India’s head coach, but Gautam Gambhir is already facing the heat following India’s 3-0 whitewash against New Zealand in the just-concluded Test series at home.

After all the fanfare and hype surrounding his appointment as India’s head coach in July this year , it has rather been an underwhelming start to the 43-year-old’s coaching career. A first ODI series loss to Sri Lanka in 27 years and a first Test series loss at home in 12 years is not the best start any Team India coach could ask for.

Also read | Team India coach Gautam Gambhir on Test series loss at home

If things continue as they are, Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as coach might end sooner than his contract’s expiration in 2027, potentially even before the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy. His next big challenge is the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where Team India’s recent batting struggles, exposed by New Zealand, make a series win seem difficult.

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A Test series loss could also hinder India’s chances of reaching the 2025 World Test Championship (WTC) final, a situation that may compel the BCCI to reconsider Gambhir’s role.

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Lack of coaching experience

One aspect that is currently against Gambhir is the fact that he does not have prior coaching experience with a professional cricket team. He has worked only as a mentor for both Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) in the IPL, but that is vastly different from coaching a cricket team at the international level.

Unlike his predecessor Rahul Dravid, Gambhir, while he is surely a great mentor, may not be a great tactician. Take this for example — On Day 2 of the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai, pacer Mohammed Siraj had been sent as nightwatchman at No 4. This was when India had the option to send R Ashwin, Ravindra Jadeja, or even Washington Sundar, who ended up scoring an unbeaten 38. Siraj, on the other hand, was dismissed for a golden duck.

Another instance of tactical mistake was sending Sarfaraz Khan to bat down the order at No 8 in the same match. This is the same Sarfaraz who had played a knock of 150 in the first Test while batting at No. 4. Now, the move to send Sarfaraz down the order in the third Test not only undermines his capabilities but also exposes Gambhir’s tactical acumen.

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The problems don’t end there. Despite being aware of the fact that Indian batters are vulnerable against spinners, Gambhir reportedly insisted on producing a rank turner for the third Test against New Zealand in Mumbai.

This move backfired big time with India failing to chase down a target of 147 with more than two days to spare in Mumbai. And aptly enough, it was a spinner in Ajaz Patel who dominated the Indian batters with six wickets in the chase.

Gambhir got the support staff he wanted

Gambhir also doesn’t have much to complain about as he has been given full freedom by the BCCI to pick his support staff. Former colleagues Abhishek (Batting coach), ten Doeschate (Assistant coach), and Morkel (Bowling coach) have joined Team India since Gambhir’s appointment.

While foreign coaches in the Indian team’s support staff are not new, this was not the case when Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid were in charge, whose support staff included only Indians.

The BCCI also allowed Gambhir to take part in selection committee meetings which again wasn’t the case with Shastri and Dravid.

After all the freedom and privilege granted, Gambhir needs to turn things around quickly. The Border-Gavaskar Trophy could very well be make-or-break for Gambhir as head coach. If India fail to impress in Australia and BCCI stays generous, then the Champions Trophy could be Gambhir’s last shot at redemption.

Or maybe 2026 at the most given how India perform at the Champions Trophy. Most importantly, Gambhir has got to make the right tactical decisions, because it’s those decisions that win you matches.