Former Indian skipper Sourav Ganguly has come out in defense of Gautam Gambhir amid growing criticism of his early tenure as Team India’s head coach. Despite a promising start with a 3-0 series victory, Gambhir has faced setbacks, including a historic 0-3 Test whitewash at home and a first ODI series loss to Sri Lanka in 27 years. The underwhelming results have drawn sharp media scrutiny.
Ganguly urges patience with Gambhir
In an interview with RevSportz, Ganguly dismissed the criticism of Gambhir as premature and unnecessary. He emphasized that Gambhir’s candid and combative demeanor remains unchanged from the time he helped Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) win the IPL 2024 title as their mentor.
“All I will say is let him be,” Ganguly remarked. “When he won the IPL, he was the same. You were going gaga over him. Just because he has lost three Test matches and an ODI series, the straight talk has not been looked at nicely. But that is the way he is.”
Ganguly also backed Gambhir’s strong stance against Australian great Ricky Ponting’s recent remarks on Indian players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. “Australians have always played tough cricket. Whether it was Steve Waugh, Ricky Ponting, or Matthew Hayden, they’ve all been fierce competitors. Gambhir is no different, and he deserves time,” he added.
Gambhir’s record as head coach
Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as head coach currently stands at a modest 57.14% win rate, with eight wins in 14 matches. Despite early hurdles, Ganguly called for patience, urging fans and critics alike to judge Gambhir after he has had more time to settle into the role.
As Team India gears up for the high-stakes Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Ganguly’s words may offer Gambhir a much-needed boost of confidence amid the mounting pressure.