Who Could Take Over if Gautam Gambhir Is Removed as India’s Head Coach?
India’s latest Test disaster has put head coach Gautam Gambhir under serious pressure. The team has now suffered two straight home series whitewashes, and their drop in Test cricket is starting to look like a real trend. South Africa’s massive 408-run win in Guwahati not only wrapped up a 0-2 defeat, but also became India’s biggest loss by runs in history. It was also their fifth home Test loss in the last seven matches.
Since Gambhir took charge, things haven’t gone well. India first lost to New Zealand, failing to win even a single match in that series for the first time ever. The overseas tour didn’t help either, with a 1-3 defeat in Australia. A young side did manage to draw 2-2 in England, but that wasn’t enough to calm concerns.
Gambhir has said that Indian cricket is bigger than any one person, including himself. But with the Test team going through a transition, questions are growing about repeated batting failures, wrong team selections, and poor results at home. Former players and fans are now calling for a specialist Test coach, as India has slipped to fifth place in the World Test Championship standings.
Anil Kumble could be a surprise choice if the BCCI decides to replace Gautam Gambhir as India’s head coach. When Kumble coached India from 2016 to 2017, the team did extremely well. India played 17 Test matches, won 12, lost only one, and drew four. This gave him the best win rate for any Indian coach who led the team in more than 15 Tests. Even with such success, his time as coach ended suddenly because of a well-known disagreement with captain Virat Kohli. Still, under Kumble, India reached the 2017 Champions Trophy final and were very strong in Test cricket. Kumble later said he had no regrets, just that the ending could have been smoother. With his experience, including coaching in the IPL, Kumble could be seen as a possible option for the job again.
Former Indian cricketer VVS Laxman could become India’s head coach if Gautam Gambhir is removed. Laxman is 51 and currently leads the BCCI’s Centre of Excellence, where he works on developing young players. He also travelled with the India Under-19 team on their UK tour. Laxman has filled in as India’s head coach several times. In 2022, he coached during the Ireland T20Is, the Asia Cup, and the New Zealand series. He later coached the senior team at the 2023 Asian Games and in T20I series in Zimbabwe and South Africa in 2024. Under him, India performed very well in short formats, winning most T20I series and even winning the Asian Games gold medal. Overall, he has 14 wins in 21 white-ball matches as interim coach. With his work in India A and U19 teams, Laxman is seen as a strong option if India decides to change coaches.
Mahela Jayawardene is a legendary Sri Lankan cricketer who has done very well as a coach. His biggest success came with the Mumbai Indians, where he helped the team win three IPL titles in 2017, 2019, and 2020. Because of this, many see him as a strong coaching choice. He has also worked with England as a batting consultant, coached the West Indies, and been involved in different roles with Sri Lanka’s team. Apart from that, he has coached teams in other leagues like the BPL and The Hundred. With his success in many teams and formats, Jayawardene is one of the most respected foreign coaches. If India decides to pick an overseas coach again, he could be a top candidate.
