IND vs AUS: BCCI Crushes Gautam Gambhir after New Zealand whitewash, role reduced to a puppet

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir is currently under scrutiny following the team’s 0-3 home series whitewash against New Zealand. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is reportedly set to limit Gambhir’s powers, which his predecessors Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid did not have.

Gambhir became the head coach after Rahul Dravid stepped down following India's T20 World Cup win. However, he didn't have a good start in his first tour, where India suffered a 0-2 loss against Sri Lanka in ODIs. India secured a Test series win against Bangladesh before the New Zealand series.

Gautam Gambhir's Fate Relies Entirely On Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25

The BCCI made an exception to the rules by allowing Gautam Gambhir to participate in the selection meeting for India’s tour of Australia. However, the board might reduce Gambhir's influence on team selection if there isn’t a significant improvement in the team’s performance in the upcoming five-match series.

According to a report by the Press Trust of India (PTI), the BCCI allowed Gambhir to participate in the selection meeting for the upcoming tour of Australia, unlike former coaches Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid. As per the BCCI rules, head coaches will not be part of selection committee meetings.

“Gautam Gambhir was given access which his predecessors Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid didn’t have. The BCCI’s rule book doesn’t allow coaches to participate in the selection committee meetings, but an exception was made for the Australia tour selection meeting.

Gambhir was allowed to attend considering the magnitude of the tour," a senior BCCI source told PTI on the condition of anonymity.

Gautam Gambhir Faced Criticism Regarding His Decisions As Head Coach

Gambhir faced criticism regarding his decisions as head coach, especially choosing a spin-friendly pitch in Mumbai for the third Test against New Zealand. His tactical choices have come under scrutiny, such as sending Mohammed Siraj in as a night-watchman and demoting Sarfaraz Khan to bat at No. 8.

The Indian cricket team's next red-ball assignment is the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia. India must secure a 4-0 victory in this series to qualify for the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025 final. Gambhir's future depends heavily on the team's performance during the series.

Harshit Rana, Nitish Kumar Reddy Backed By Team India Head Coach

Gautam Gambhir backed Harshit Rana, who has played only nine First-Class games, for the Test series against Australia. Rana played a Ranji Trophy match instead of joining the India A tour. Harshit Rana did not debut for India and was released before the last T20I against Bangladesh due to illness.

Gambhir also backed the selection of Nitish Reddy as a seam-bowling all-rounder to replace Hardik Pandya. Reddy struggled against short balls in the 'A' game, which raised doubts about his ability to compete with top-quality bowlers. Nitish Kumar Reddy received his maiden call-up to the Test team for the Australia tour.

Also read: "We could have only dreamt": Tom Latham's honest verdict on NZ's 3-0 Test series win in India