Coach Gautam Gambhir hanging by a thread as eyes shift to VVS Laxman

The tour of Zimbabwe and the Asian Games, where ex-Test cricketer VVS Laxman will coach the national team, could decide the future of Gautam Gambhir as India's coach. Laxman's success there could seal Gambhir's fate and may see him go out. The latest mauling at the hands of Ireland and England in back-to-back T20 International series has come as a big jolt to the former India opener.

Barring wins at the 2025 Champions Trophy, where India had the advantage of playing all their matches at a single ground, and the T20 World Cup title win at home this year, Gambhir has almost nothing to show. He could have been sacked last year only had it not been for the drawn Test series in England thanks largely to Shubman Gill's batting and insipid bowling by England.

Now come these whitewashes in England and Ireland. India haven't won a single match on the tour. They lost the two game T20I series to Ireland 2-0 and then lost the five-match series in England 4-0.

Without Jasprit Bumrah and Hardik Pandya, India looks like a team bereft of bite. Their absence was seen as an opportunity for India to showcase the next in line. But it is clear that these players, especially bowlers, are not good enough to step in.

England had bigger grounds than the ones at home where Indian players are used to playing in IPL. Prior to that, they encountered testing conditions in Ireland which took them out of comfort zone of flat tracks where the deliveries come at them straight ready to be hit.

While the conditions and grounds may have taken Indian players by surprise the fact is that Gautam Gambhir could not even inspire the world No. 1 T20 side into winning even a single match. (India have lost their No. 1 status).

Gambhir was never a good red ball coach. It was clear from the 3-0 loss to New Zealand at home and 2-0 loss to South Africa again at home.

But he was always a good white ball leader, having won IPL title for Kolkata Knight Riders as captain in 2012 and 2014 and as mentor in 2024. But the latest results have scarred his great white ball record.

Gambhir as coach has been largely dominant, almost dictatorial. Those who have seen him captain Delhi know that while he backs his preferred players to the hilt, he can also deny breathing space to players. Almost always angry, always aggressive and lacking trust.

The best example was Sarfaraz Khan's axing. Sarfaraz, who can often be loud-mouthed, had apparently leaked an incident from the dressing room to the media on the tour of Australia. The leaked news was about the dressing down the coach had given to the players after a loss.

Gambhir pushed Sarfaraz out of the squad permanently, almost as a punishment.

He has always shown an inclination of being against superstar culture. It is absolutely needed in a team game. But for that to end, you need to have players who are ready to be match-winners and take the place of superstars. Bumrah will remain indispensable till the time someone else steps in especially in white ball cricket. Gambhir is, it has been learnt, not fond of Bumrah using his star status to pick and choose matches. It is a fair call. But he simply doesn't have any replacement, nor has he prepared anyone.

It is exactly the same with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. With the way Indian cricket team's batting is performing, both those batsmen will have to travel to the 2027 World Cup. It will be interesting to see how he faces Rohit, Virat and Bumrah when he meets them again. Gambhir will certainly be acquiescent to them. India need to win the three-match ODI series in England that begins on July 14 for Gambhir to return to India with respect.  He needs Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli and Jasprit Bumrah to save his job.  

Tags : Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, Indian cricket team, England