The goal of Gautam Gambhir‘s hiring as the Indian team’s head coach was to keep the team moving in the right direction. But thus far, it has been anything but that. The situation for Gambhir and the squad has only gotten worse with the recent disaster in the 2024–25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Harbhajan Singh, a former Indian cricket player, openly questioned where the Indian team appeared to have gone wrong by drawing comparisons between the pre- and post-Gautam Gambhir periods.
“Until Rahul Dravid arrived, everything was good. After India won the World Cup, all was well. However, what was the sudden event? We have suffered a 3-1 loss in Australia, a series thumping by New Zealand, and a loss to Sri Lanka in the last six months. In a recent video that was uploaded to his YouTube channel, Harbhajan said, “It seems like everything has fallen apart.”
India must to abandon its celebrity mentality: Harbhajan Singh
The former World Cup champion believed that only the players who were performing should be shortlisted for India’s next red-ball assignment, and he asked the selectors to abandon the fame-driven glorification that has been given out for a while.
Each participant has a reputation. Add Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, or any of India’s greatest match winners if this is the case. Selectors and BCCI ought to take control. India ought to abandon its superstar mentality. While on tour, Abhimanyu Easwaran did not perform. Given the chance, he has the potential to play for India. The same is true of Sarfaraz. The performer ought to travel [to England]. “You shouldn’t choose players based on their reputation,” Harbhajan continued.
India has already lost three heartbreaking games under Gambhir’s leadership. The 0-2 loss to Sri Lanka in the ODI series, the thumping by New Zealand, and the 3-1 loss to Australia have undoubtedly overshadowed victories in the T20I series against Sri Lanka and the Test series against Bangladesh. For Gambhir & Co., the next Champions Trophy is anticipated to be a pivotal moment.