Former India captain Sourav Ganguly has come to the defense of head coach Gautam Gambhir, who faced criticism for his candid remarks at the pre-departure press conference ahead of the Australia tour.
Ganguly emphasized that Gambhir’s straightforward approach, which drew flak now, was actually praised when he led Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to an IPL title as a mentor.
Gambhir, who played a pivotal role in KKR’s 2024 IPL victory before returning as Team India’s head coach in July, succeeded Rahul Dravid after India’s 2024 T20 World Cup win.
However, under Gambhir’s coaching, India suffered setbacks, losing a three-match ODI series in Sri Lanka and being swept 3-0 by New Zealand in a home Test series.
The 43-year-old came under fire for his blunt comments at the pre-tour press conference, with former India batter Sanjay Manjrekar even suggesting the BCCI should reconsider his role in such media interactions.
Ganguly, however, had no problem with the Indian head coach’s media interaction. In an interview with Revsportz, he stated:
“All I will say is let him be. I saw some criticism on what he said in the press conference. It is the way he is. Let him be. When he won the IPL, he was the same. You were going gaga over him. Just because he has lost three Test matches and a one-day series against Sri Lanka, the straight talk has not been looked at nicely. But that is the way he is.”
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Highlighting that Australians have always played cricket in their own style without being told to change, the 52-year-old urged critics not to rush to judgment about his coaching tenure. Ganguly further added:
“And why not? Australians, from the time I have watched cricket, they have been tough for you. They have played their cricket that way, whether it was [Steve] Waugh, [Ricky] Ponting or [Matthew] Hayden. So, there is nothing wrong with what Gambhir has said.”
“That is the way he is, and he fights. He competes, so let us give him a chance. It has just been two-three months, and you are passing judgment on him.”
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As a player, Gambhir appeared in 242 matches across all three formats for India, amassing 10,324 runs at an average of 38.95, including 20 centuries and 63 half-centuries.
“I don’t feel like I’m under pressure”- Gautam Gambhir responds to criticism following the 3-0 defeat to New Zealand
After India’s 3-0 loss to New Zealand, both captain Rohit Sharma and coach Gambhir faced heavy trolling on social media. However, Gambhir stated that he wasn’t affected by the criticism. Speaking before India’s departure for the Australia series, he said:
“What difference does it make tell me? Social media what difference does it make in my life? And for that matter, anyone’s life. So when I took up this job, I always think it’s going to be a highly difficult job and highly prestigious job as well. And honestly, I don’t think as if I’m feeling the heat, because my job is to be absolutely honest.”
India will kick off their Border-Gavaskar Trophy campaign against Australia with the Perth Test, set to begin on Friday, November 22.
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