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Gautam Gambhir delivers for now but the road to redemption is long for the ‘preacher’
He tries to present himself as a cricket revolutionary, but he rather comes across as a rabble-rouser, sorry to say.
Gautam Gambhir is back firing on all cylinders. And why wouldn't he? He has won the 2026 T20 World Cup. Rest assured, every time India does exceptionally well, he will be at it for days. However, the too much certainty in his voice can be nagging at times. Some of his remarks post the T20 World Cup are quite unnecessary. He tries to present himself as a cricket revolutionary, but sorry to say, he rather comes across as a rabble rouser.
Like, "You can see it in the last three games, what Sanju Samson did - 97 not out, 89, 89. If a player is batting on 97 and he takes three singles to reach a hundred, he's playing for himself. I'd rather see a player try to hit a six and get out on 97 if that's what the team needs at that moment. Stop celebrating milestones, celebrate trophies."
No, he may not be playing for himself. Every player is different. And the whole argument is layered, not so simple. This was totally uncalled for.
One more example that he wouldn't have minded if Arshdeep Singh had not apologised to Daryl Mitchell after throwing the ball at him and hurting him during the T20 World Cup final in Ahmedabad. He should have unequivocally praised the bowler instead.
These are some of the examples. There are many more. He gives you the impression that with their T20 World Cup win, all was good with the Indian cricket team. Somebody should remind him that he may have won two ICC trophies in less than a year, but he has suffered two whitewashes at home too.
Matters of great shame!
In 2024, India lost all three Tests to New Zealand, first time in almost two and a half decades. Then last year, the team lost to South Africa 2-0. He was at the coaching helm when India lost to hosts Australia in 2024-25, 3-1. When Ravi Shastri was coaching the Indian team and the visitors beat the Aussies in their own den 2-1 in 2018-19, he said beating Australia in Australia was bigger than winning the World Cup. He had a point. No Asian team had beaten Australia in Australia in a Test series before.
Former players from across the border in Pakistan, like Ramiz Raja, Imran Khan, Wasim Akhtar, Shoaib Akhtar, all have said on record that winning in Australia is no child's game.
India, in fact, did it twice. In 2020-21, they again beat Australia 2-1 in their own backyard. So winning the T20 World Cup is not redemption by any means for those horrible performances. Yes, Gambhir has addressed India's struggles in Tests, but he has largely come up with excuses. Everyone knows why India have done badly in Tests. We need good results, not acknowledgement. Agree he is honest, but that's not enough, sorry to say.
India need to reach the final and then win the World Test Championship next year. India need to beat Australia in Australia when they travel there next time. And don't get whitewashed at home please. Once can understand if you lose a series now and then, but whitewash? That's not acceptable. It will be great if he is a bit gracious about the team's win. The best way to do it is not to be preachy.
It will be a wise decision too because when the team loses -- of course they are not going to win all the time -- these “certainty-filled” remarks will come back to haunt him, and there will be no one on his side.
