Unrest in Indian dressing room? All you need to know
What's the story
Gautam Gambhir's tenure as India's head coach is reportedly facing scrutiny from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The concerns stem from a perceived reluctance on his part to take responsibility for defeats. According to CricBlogger, some BCCI officials are worried about Gambhir's tendency to blame players, the Centre of Excellence (CoE), or support staff for losses while not taking accountability himself. Here we look at the entire saga.
Player feedback
Senior players voice concerns about Gambhir's coaching style
The report further states that some senior players have voiced their concerns about Gambhir's coaching style to BCCI members and former Indian cricketers.
The issue stemmed following India's dismal performance in the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) against Australia.
Following the defeat, Gambhir had asked all players to play domestic cricket if they wanted to keep their places in red-ball cricket.
Under him, India also lost home Test series against New Zealand (0-3) and South Africa (0-2).
Before 2024, India last lost a home Test series in 2012.
Media blame
Gambhir hits back at media
Despite reports of unrest in the dressing room, Gambhir has blamed the media for "so many things" are manufactured when a team loses.
The former India opener's comments came after India's recent white-ball tours of Ireland and England, where they were outperformed in all departments.
The Men in Blue won just one of the nine concluded games in the entire UK tour.
In the ICC World Test Championship (WTC) 2025-27 table, Team India is fifth with four wins, four losses, and one draw from nine matches.
Begining
The start of the tenure
Notably, Gambhir was appointed as the Indian cricket team's head coach in July 2024.
He replaced legend Rahul Dravid, whose tenure has come to an end after India's triumphant campaign at the 2024 ICC T20 World Cup.
Gambhir's appointment came soon after he helped Kolkata Knight Riders claim the Indian Premier League title as a mentor.
Mixed results
India's performance under Gambhir in Tests
Under Gambhir's leadership, Team India has struggled in Tests, winning just eight of the 20 games while losing 10.
Despite winning the Asia Cup, ICC Champions Trophy, and T20 World Cup under his guidance, the mood within the board appears to have shifted.
A poor performance in the upcoming Sri Lanka tour could further intensify scrutiny over his tenure as head coach.
Decisions
These decisions faced scrutiny in Gambhir's tenure
Gambhir has often been criticized for constant changes to the playing XI in the name of rotation and experimentation.
Ahead of the 2025 T20 Asia Cup, India tinkered with the settled opening combination of Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson to accommodate Shubman Gill.
The move backfired as Gill struggled for runs while Samson couldn't perform well in the middle order.
Similarly, Washington Sundar was picked for the opener of the 2024-25 away Test series against Australia, ahead of veterans Ravindra Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin.
Issues
Hampering players' confidence
The head coach has also been accused of hampering players' confidence with his unorthodox approach.
The decision to bench Kuldeep Yadav for the entirety of the recent England ODI series surprised many.
KL Rahul's demotion to six and seven in ODIs despite remarkable success at five has also not been taken well.
On a similar note, India have auditioned several batters for the number-three Test spot without giving anyone a significant run.