Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as Team India’s head coach had its share of ups and downs. He has drawn more criticism more than often for his straight talk. Gambhir is not worried about the flak he receives in the media as he puts the team above any individual player.
In his tenure, India have won two ICC trophies so far – Champions Trophy in 2025 and the T20 World Cup this month. After India lifted the trophy for the third time, Gambhir said that his job as head coach is to build a super team.
“That is a simple difference and that difference will always remain. The media wants to create superstars, but my job as a head coach is to create a super team. And that is the only way I look at my profession because my job is to be absolutely fair, even, and treat everyone exactly equally, because those 15 people in that dressing room are absolutely equal to me,” he told ANI.
“I do not look at the amount of runs they have scored. I do not look at the amount of social media following they have. I do not look at what TRP they bring to the people or to the broadcaster. I only look at what they bring to the team and what they bring to the country. And that is why I feel that my job is to create a super team. And hopefully, till I finish my tenure, I will be able to create a super team,” Gambhir also said.
Gary Kirsten, India’s 2011 World Cup-winning coach, also agrees with Gambhir and said the superstar culture in India has also changed significantly.
“I think it (superstar culture) has changed significantly in India over the last 15-odd years and I think he (Gambhir) is absolutely spot on,” Kirsten, who was recently appointed Sri Lanka’s head coach said on Wisden Cricket’s The Scoop on YouTube.
“I think that India was driven largely around that superstardom status of each individual and there was a massive commercial entity to that as well.
“But I think the IPL has definitely brought in a different dynamic there and I couldn’t agree with you more. There are just so many good Indian players around now. I mean, you could literally pick three teams. When I was with the Namibians (as a consultant for the T20 World Cup), we were down at the Centre of Excellence in Bangalore, and it’s the most impressive cricket facility I’ve ever seen anywhere.”
