New Delhi, July 13: Gautam Gambhir’s first two years as India’s head coach have been defined by soaring highs in white-ball cricket and a series of setbacks in the longest format. Since taking charge on July 9, 2024, Gambhir has guided India to three major titles but has also faced criticism over the team’s declining fortunes in Test cricket and a string of controversies during his tenure.
While India celebrated victories in the ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Asia Cup 2025 and the ICC T20 World Cup 2026, the team’s performances in Tests painted a contrasting picture, with home series defeats to New Zealand and South Africa, along with the loss of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, raising questions over the side’s red-ball direction.
Steady start in charge
Gambhir’s coaching journey began with a white-ball tour of Sri Lanka. India won the T20I series but stumbled in the ODIs before returning home to comfortably sweep Bangladesh in a series comprising two Tests and three T20Is.
Test setbacks trigger concern
The first major challenge arrived later in 2024 when New Zealand stunned India with a historic Test series win on Indian soil. The disappointment continued during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia.
Although India opened the series with an impressive victory under stand-in captain Jasprit Bumrah in Rohit Sharma’s absence, the visitors failed to build on the momentum and eventually surrendered the coveted trophy. The focus shifted back to limited-overs cricket in early 2025. India defeated England 4-1 in the T20I series and completed a clean sweep in the ODIs before carrying that form into the ICC Champions Trophy in the UAE.
The Men in Blue capped off a successful campaign by defeating New Zealand in the final to lift the title, giving Gambhir his first ICC trophy as head coach.
A new Test era begins
Midway through 2025, Indian cricket entered a period of transition following the Test retirements of Ravichandran Ashwin, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Shubman Gill was appointed the new Test captain ahead of the England tour.
Despite the absence of the senior trio, India produced a spirited performance, with Gill leading the side to a memorable victory in the final Test at The Oval to level the series.
India continued their impressive run in white-ball cricket by defeating Pakistan in the Asia Cup final before securing another bilateral series win over the West Indies.
However, concerns resurfaced when South Africa defeated India in a home Test series, marking the second home series loss under Gambhir. Within a year, India had suffered four Test defeats at home, a stark contrast to their previous dominance in the format.
The 2026 season began with a home series against New Zealand. India cruised to a convincing 4-1 T20I series victory but lost the ODI series.
The setback was quickly forgotten as Suryakumar Yadav’s side successfully defended the ICC T20 World Cup title, beating New Zealand in the final at Ahmedabad to hand Gambhir his second ICC trophy.
Recent struggles in T20Is
India followed up comprehensive Test and ODI series victories over Afghanistan by making a major leadership change, replacing World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav with Shreyas Iyer as T20I skipper.
The move, however, was followed by disappointing results. India lost a two-match T20I series to Ireland before suffering a crushing 4-0 whitewash against England, putting the team management under renewed scrutiny.
India’s next assignment is a three-match T20I series in Zimbabwe before returning home to face the West Indies.
A tenure of contrasting fortunes
After two years in charge, Gambhir’s tenure reflects a blend of remarkable success and persistent challenges. India’s achievements in global white-ball tournaments have cemented his reputation as a successful limited-overs coach.
Yet, the team’s struggles in Test cricket, particularly during a period of transition following the departure of several senior stars, remain the biggest blemish on an otherwise trophy-laden stint.
The coming months are likely to determine whether Gambhir can restore India’s dominance across all formats. (Agencies)
