Image: Did Gautam Gambhir achieve the results that were expected of him? / © India Today
On 29 June 2024, all the Indian fans finally got a smile on their faces as Rohit Sharma and Rahul Dravid’s captain-coach duo led the team to win the T20 World Cup. After a heartbreak in the 2023 World Cup, this was a redemption arc by the Indian team, as they didn’t lose a single match throughout the tournament.
Under Rahul Dravid’s captaincy, he failed to lift the World Cup in the West Indies in 2007. But the stars favoured him after 17 years, allowing him to lift the T20 World Cup title at the same ground as a coach. This just seemed like a fairytale ending for the Indian team, as Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announced their retirements from the format.
Following the T20 World Cup, Rahul Dravid’s tenure as the coach of the team also ended. Jay Shah, then the BCCI Chairman, announced that Gautam Gambhir will now be taking up the role of the team’s Head Coach. Gambhir has already made his name being a former Indian player, and also led Kolkata Knight Riders to win the IPL in the same year.
| Format | Matches | Won | Lost | Draw/NR | Win % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Test | 11 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 27.27% |
| ODI | 11 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 72.72% |
| T20I | 15 | 13 | 2 | – | 90.00% |
With this announcement, fans thought that the Indian team would be able to touch new heights with the GG era. It has been almost a year since Gambhir’s tenure as the head coach started. Let’s assess how Gambhir as a coach has helped the Indian cricket team.
Gautam Gambhir started his tenure as the Indian team’s Head Coach in the away series against Sri Lanka. This was a six-match series, which consisted of three ODIs and three T20Is. With Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma having retired from the T20 format, it was a challenging start for the new coach to help the Indian team to win.
| Match | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| T20I Series | 1st T20I | 27 July 2024 | India won by 43 Runs |
| 2nd T20I | 28 July 2024 | India won by 7 Wickets | |
| 3rd T20I | 30 July 2024 | Draw (India won the Super Over) | |
| ODI Series | 1st ODI | 2 August 2024 | Match Tied |
| 2nd ODI | 4 August 2024 | Sri Lanka won by 32 Runs | |
| 3rd ODI | 7 August 2024 | Sri Lanka won by 110 Runs |
However, the T20I series was definitely a banger for the Indian fans and the team as well, with India starting off the series with a 43-run win in the first match. There were also multiple questions raised on Gautam Gambhir when Suryakumar Yadav was announced as the team’s new captain, instead of Hardik Pandya, who played many crucial knocks.
But Gambhir silenced the critics, as India won the T20I series with a complete whitewash. The happiness didn’t last long, as India went on to lose the three-match ODI series against Sri Lanka by 2-0. Moreover, this was the first time in 27 years India lost the ODI series against Sri Lanka. Thus, Gautam Gambhir once again received criticism for such a heavy loss.
Following the heavy loss the team suffered in the ODI series against Sri Lanka, the new coach led the team in the series against Bangladesh. This series involved two Test matches and three T20Is, and it was also the perfect chance for Gautam Gambhir to regain his momentum and create a stronger team under his leadership.
| Match | Date | Result | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Test Series | 1st Test | 19–22 September 2024 | India won by 280 Runs |
| 2nd Test | 27 September – 1 October 2024 | India won by 7 Wickets | |
| T20I Series | 1st T20I | 6 October 2024 | India won by 7 Wickets |
| 2nd T20I | 9 October 2024 | India won by 86 Runs | |
| 3rd T20I | 12 October 2024 | India won by 133 Runs |
As a result, India started to dominate over Bangladesh in the two Tests, winning the first match in Chennai by 280 runs. In the second Test match at Kanpur, India showcased a mammoth performance, as their aggressive style and winning approach helped the team to win by 7 wickets. This was also a historic win for the Indian team, as they defeated Bangladesh 2-0 in the Tests.
After dominating in the Tests, India continued its domination in the T20I format, winning the T20 series also with a whitewash. The Bangladesh series helped Indian fans to know that the GG-era has surely arrived, with the team recklessly winning matches.
Ever since India’s win over Bangladesh, it seems like the turmoil started. With India needing just a handful of wins to secure a spot in the World Test Championship final, their next target was to defeat New Zealand in the home series. The Kiwis visited India for a three-match Test, which turned the tables.
| Match | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 16–20 October 2024 | New Zealand won by 8 Wickets |
| 2nd Test | 24–26 October 2024 | New Zealand won by 113 Runs |
| 3rd Test | 1–3 November 2024 | New Zealand won by 25 Runs |
The first match was being played in Bengaluru, where India started the series with a loss by 8 wickets. The team did aim for a comeback in the second match, but failed desperately in the same, losing it by 113 runs. Fans didn’t lose hope even after the same, but India also lost the third match by 25 runs, resulting in a whitewash loss.
With this series loss, India also broke its 12-year streak of winning the Home Test series, which also included 18 consecutive home wins. It also made New Zealand the first team to defeat India with a whitewash in India. Serious questions were now being raised about the coach, Gautam Gambhir.
India went to Australia for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, and the hopes were high after winning the BGT over the last two series in Australia. But with the previous whitewash against New Zealand, the captain-coach duo decided to give their best this time and turn the tables.
| Match | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1st Test | 22–25 November 2024 | India won by 295 Runs |
| 2nd Test | 6–8 December 2024 | Australia won by 10 Wickets |
| 3rd Test | 14–18 December 2024 | Match Drawn |
| 4th Test | 26–30 December 2024 | Australia won by 184 Runs |
| 5th Test | 3–5 January 2025 | Australia won by 6 Wickets |
India started off the series well with a win by 295 runs under Jasprit Bumrah’s captaincy. However, the tables turned soon, as the team went on to lose three out of the next four matches, losing the BGT for the first time in 11 years. This also cost India their spot in the World Test Championship final, which once seemed easy.
After the BGT loss, new changes were brought to the team’s dressing room to bring more discipline and remove the distractions. The time spent by family and spouses on the tours was reduced to 7-14 days, players were not allowed to have their personal staff, all players had to travel with the team, and much more.
Preparing for the Champions Trophy 2025, India’s next opponent was England. They went against the English team in a five-match T20I series and a three-match ODI series, where the ODI matches surely played a great role. Starting off fresh with the new rules, Gautam Gambhir had many expectations from the team.
| Match | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 1st T20I | 22 January 2025 | India won by 7 Wickets |
| 2nd T20I | 25 January 2025 | India won by 2 Wickets |
| 3rd T20I | 28 January 2025 | England won by 25 Runs |
| 4th T20I | 31 January 2025 | India won by 15 Runs |
| 5th T20I | 2 February 2025 | India won by 150 Runs |
| 1st ODI | 6 February 2025 | India won by 4 Wickets |
| 2nd ODI | 9 February 2025 | India won by 4 Wickets |
| 3rd ODI | 12 February 2025 | India won by 142 Runs |
India started off the T20 series well by winning the first two matches. Although England won the third match, India was able to make a sharp comeback in the last two games, winning yet another T20 series under Gautam Gambhir, this time by 4-1.
The next step was to win the ODI series, which was also the first after Sri Lanka loss. Fortunately, India was able to win all three ODI matches at home, boosting the team’s confidence ahead of the Champions Trophy 2025, hosted by Pakistan and the UAE. The questions on the coach were also removed to a great extent, with the new rules and wins over England.
The biggest challenge for Gautam Gambhir as the head coach of India came in the form of the Champions Trophy. After various ups and downs, he now had the chance to lift the team to great heights, in the ODI format, where India had already lost the 2023 World Cup.
| Stage | Opponent | Date | Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Group Stage | Bangladesh | 20 February 2025 | India won by 6 Wickets |
| Group Stage | Pakistan | 23 February 2025 | India won by 6 Wickets |
| Group Stage | New Zealand | 2 March 2025 | India won by 44 Runs |
| Semi-Final | Australia | 4 March 2025 | India won by 4 Wickets |
| Final | New Zealand | 9 March 2025 | India won by 4 Wickets |
Fortunately, India dominated throughout the Champions Trophy, winning all the matches in the Group stages. Later, the team went to face Australia in the semi-finals and defeated them with ease to make a spot in the Champions Trophy final for the third consecutive time.
The final clash was between India and New Zealand, where India won by 4 wickets, getting another CT title. It was the first ICC tournament for Gautam Gambhir as a coach, and he showcased his dedication towards the team.
With the team dominating in the limited-overs format, the consecutive losses in the Test still remain a challenge for Gautam Gambhir. Will he be able to tackle the challenges later in his tenure as a head coach or not?