Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth launched a scathing attack on India head coach Gautam Gambhir, claiming the national team does not need a traditional coach at this level and would be better served by a mentor in the mould of former captain MS Dhoni.
Speaking on The Lallantop’s show ‘Guest in the Newsroom’, Sreesanth was asked why India, once a dominant force in Test cricket, have struggled in recent years, particularly after suffering home whitewash defeats against New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa in 2025.
Interrupting the question, Sreesanth pointed out that both series losses came during Gambhir’s tenure as head coach.
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In his first season in charge, Gambhir saw India miss out on a place in the World Test Championship final. A 0-3 defeat against New Zealand at home, followed by a series loss in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, proved costly. India then managed only a 2-2 draw against England before suffering another 0-2 home series defeat to South Africa, raising fresh questions about the team’s performances in the longest format.
Blaming Gambhir for India’s recent Test struggles, Sreesanth said: “Change the coach, friend. India needs a mentor, not a coach.”
The report also cited Sreesanth, who said he has an issue with the way Gambhir coaches. He reckoned the former India batter puts “excessive pressure on the players,” before citing the example of Dhoni. He explained that an international team doesn’t require a coach who pressurises players to do something and drop them when they fail, something which “Dhoni didn’t do.”
Sreesanth also said that while opinions may differ, India’s triumph was driven by Dhoni’s mentality and the self-belief he fostered among his teammates, adding that “Team India needs a mentor like Dhoni.”
Elaborating on his point, Sreesanth added: “You have to be a brother first. You can’t just laugh when you win and get angry when you lose. You’ve done well for the country, that’s great. That doesn’t mean others aren’t trying. Have a mentor over a coach.”
Sreesanth refuses to credit Gambhir for T20 World Cup triumph
Sreesanth also rejected the notion that Gambhir was solely responsible for India’s T20 World Cup triumph earlier this year, insisting that the players deserved the bulk of the credit.
He highlighted the contributions of players such as Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav, while also pointing to key on-field decisions that helped India lift the trophy.
“When the team won the World Cup, all the credit went to Gambhir. But if Sanju Samson hadn’t been there, Suryakumar Yadav hadn’t captained, and the bowling changes hadn’t been made at the right time, would we have won the match?” Sreesanth said.
“Was the coach making decisions on the field? It’s fine if we have a coach like Ashish Nehra, who remains involved,” he added.