BCCI alters Gautam Gambhir's coaching deadline, 2027 World Cup no guarantee
Published - 28 Nov 2025, 01:44 PM | Updated - 28 Nov 2025, 01:45 PM
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A day before South Africa dominated India in the Guwahati Test, the BCCI headquarters hosted an event to welcome a new sponsor, adding ₹45 crore to the board’s already healthy finances.
The irony is that India’s home Test record has been worrying, but the BCCI’s finances keep growing anyway.
The Indian cricket team has been whitewashed twice in the last three home series—a 0-3 home Test series loss to New Zealand last year and now a 0-2 Test series loss to South Africa—raising concerns about the current setup.
BCCI sets review as Gautam Gambhir faces heat
The BCCI is expected to review the situation with the Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar during the upcoming white-ball games. However, the next test is roughly eight months away, so Gambhir's position is safe for now.
Read Also: BCCI announces India’s squad for U19 Asia Cup; Ayush Mhatre named captain
However, the recent Test matches at Guwahati and Kolkata exposed India’s batting weaknesses. The current lineup struggled on both spin-friendly pitches and the traditionally turning red-ball tracks. But Gambhir had openly backed the Kolkata pitch despite the massive criticism.
And the board is not happy with Gambhir's recent statements. Despite this, the latest report suggests that Gambhir’s position is not at risk. He is currently safe, and the split-coaching idea, which could have replaced him, is considered unlikely by the BCCI at the moment.
Gautam Gambhir’s decisions leave BCCI officials frustrated
However, the Indian head coach’s tactical decisions were not liked at all among the BCCI officials. Gambhir’s call to replace Sai Sudharsan with Washington Sundar at No. 3 in Kolkata to accommodate four spinners on a tailor-made pitch was controversial.
Players like Sudharsan, Karun Nair, and Sarfaraz Khan have been rotated without any clear pattern. It is being said that Sarfaraz, Karun, and Ruturaj Gaikwad were suggested to replace injured Shubman Gill for the second and final Test against South Africa, but Gautam Gambhir cited Devdutt Padikkal’s presence.
However, adding Padikkal to an already left-handed-heavy order ultimately led to the team management going with Dhruv Jurel at No. 4, and Nitish Kumar Reddy returned to the playing XI. Reddy’s role in all three tests he played remains unclear.
Gautam Gambhir's fate depends on India's ICC T20 World Cup 2026 campaign
Well, tactical mistakes and poor planning from the chief selector Agarkar and head coach Gambhir demand urgent action. Well, the board is not thinking about strict disciplinary guidelines, like the 10-point plan from the last review, to solve these issues.
But questions about the collaboration between the selection committee and team management remain. Gambhir’s strong influence over decisions, especially with Shubman Gill at the helm, has been heavily criticised.
If the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 doesn’t go as planned, both Gautam Gambhir and Ajit Agarkar could be sacked, as reported by several media reports.
Since the ICC T20 World Cup 2026 will be held in Sri Lanka and India, they must think carefully about home pitch conditions and whether Ranji Trophy pitches should be adjusted to better prepare batters and bowlers for the big games.
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Rashmi Wasnik is a passionate content writer with over a decade of experience. She started her journ... Read more
