Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth has criticized Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach and said that the Indian team would benefit more from having MS Dhoni as a mentor. Sreesanth also dismissed the praise the head coach received after India’s recent T20 World Cup win.
Gambhir’s first season as head coach has produced mixed results across all formats. India failed to qualify for the World Test Championship (WTC) final in 2024 and suffered a 0-3 home series defeat to New Zealand. The team then lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series in Australia.
India later managed to draw the series 2–2 against England, but concerns continued over the team’s Test performance. The team suffered a 0-2 home series defeat to South Africa in 2025, increasing scrutiny of India’s results in red-ball cricket during Gambhir’s tenure.
India needs a mentor, not a coach – Sreesanth takes a dig at Gautam Gambhir
During The Lallantop’s Guest in the Newsroom programme, Sreesanth discussed India’s coaching setup and the team’s recent performance across all formats. The former India fast bowler also shared his views on the direction of the national team under the current management.
Sreesanth argued that Gautam Gambhir puts too much pressure on the players and said that the team needs a mentor who can instill confidence and support the cricketers through tough times. He suggested that players respond better to guidance and trust rather than constant scrutiny.
“Change the coach, friend. India needs a guru, not a coach.”
During the same podcast, Sreesanth had given an open challenge to Harbhajan Singh for a boxing match.
You have to be a brother first – Sreesanth on why he likes MS Dhoni’s leadership style
Sreesanth said that a successful leader must remain calm and balanced regardless of the outcome. The former India fast bowler argued that players need support during tough times and warned against immediately dismissing cricketers after poor performances.
“You have to be a brother first of all. You can’t just laugh when you win and get angry when you lose. You have done good for the country, that’s great. That doesn’t mean other people aren’t trying. It’s important to have a mentor instead of a coach.”
MS Dhoni instilled confidence within the team and supported the players in challenging phases rather than reacting harshly to failures. The former fast bowler had shared the dressing room with both Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir during India’s successful 2011 ODI World Cup campaign.
When the team won the World Cup, all the credit went to Gambhir – Sreesanth
Sreesanth said Gautam Gambhir was not solely responsible for India’s recent T20 World Cup win. The former India fast bowler argued that the players on the field deserve the most credit for the win, pointing to their performances and decision-making during crucial moments.
“When the team won the World Cup, all the credit was given to Gambhir. But if Sanju Samson had not been there, Suryakumar Yadav had not captained, and bowling changes had not been made at the right time, would we have won the match? Was the coach taking decisions on the field? It is fine if we have a coach like Ashish Nehra, who is involved.”
During India’s T20 World Cup 2026 campaign, Suryakumar Yadav led the team while Sanju Samson produced crucial match-winning performances. India’s T20 World Cup win was the second ICC title during Gautam Gambhir’s tenure with the national team, after the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 triumph.
