When? Gautam Gambhir Taking over as the coach of the Indian national cricket team in July 2024, everyone expected big things considering the amount of experience he has, courtesy of a successful IPL stint with KKR.
However, everything has not been rosy for the Men in Blue, especially in the oldest format of the game, as they have lost two of the last four series they have played at home, including their first series defeat against New Zealand.
To add to this, the team management has not been tactful in what they have said in the post-match press conferences and interviews, and have had some harsh words for anyone who has criticized them and raised questions regarding the team selection.
This article talks about Gautam Gambhir and Ryan Ten Doeschate’s statements raised eyebrows
The confusing world of Indian cricket: Ten statements by Gautam Gambhir, Ryan Doeschate that raised eyebrows
“Stay in Your Domain” (December 2025):
Among the many statements made by Gautam Gambhir, one of the statements that created the most outrage was when the head coach reacted to the idea of split coaching in the IPL mooted by Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal.
When he was asked about this, Gautam Gambhir Said, “People also said things which have nothing to do with cricket. An IPL owner also wrote about split coaching. It is very important for people to stay in their domain. If we do not go into someone’s domain, then they have no right to come into our area.”
“I’m the Same Man” (November 2025):
India’s Test performance, especially at home, has seen a significant decline under Gautam Gambhir as coach, resulting in a lot of criticism of the team management.
The coaching staff have also not handled it well, they are dependent on the success of white-ball cricket, as shown by the fact that Gautam Gambhir He was asked about India’s 2-0 series defeat against South Africa at home, to which he replied.
“People may keep forgetting, but I am the same guy who got results in England too. With a young team. And I am sure you guys will forget very soon because a lot of people keep talking about New Zealand. And I am the same guy who also won the Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup.”
“What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket?”(November 2024):
Former Australia captain Ricky Ponting is also included in the list of those who have faced sharp criticism from Gautam Gambhir.
The incident occurred when India toured Australia in late 2024 and Ponting questioned Virat Kohli’s form before the start of the series, to which Gambhir responded in his usual fiery style.
“What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket? I think he should be thinking about Australian cricket.”
“He often doesn’t do much in games” (January 2026):
Not only Gambhir, but other members of the support staff have also been in the news for saying things that have left people scratching their heads.
Team India assistant coach Ryan ten Doeschate has been the talk of the town this time as he criticized Nitish Kumar Reddy for his performance or lack of it when given a chance after the defeat in the second ODI against New Zealand.
In Ryan’s words, “With Nitish, we keep talking about developing him and getting him game time, and then when you do give him game time, he often doesn’t do much in games.”
Ryan ten Doeschate also questioned the form of former Indian captain Rohit Sharma after consecutive failures against New Zealand.
“He’s definitely not the kind of guy who can play for himself. It’s just the combination of wickets that is a bit difficult and maybe the cricket is lacking a bit in the series.” Doeschate said after the second ODI.
Ryan’s assessment drew a strong reaction from former cricketers and fans alike, who were not very happy with him.
“We played the first Test match without a captain” (December 2025):
Talking about Gambhir, India, especially Gambhir, was heavily criticized for his statement regarding the absence of Shubman Gill after India’s defeat in the first Test against South Africa.
“A lot of things were said and written after we lost the Test series against South Africa, but no one talked about the fact that in the first Test we played without our captain, who did not bat in both the innings,” Gambhir said.
