‘Gautam Gambhir won’t last…’: Former World Cup hero makes bold prediction about India head coach’s future

Gautam Gambhir was appointed India head coach last month following the end of Rahul Dravid's tenure. The former India cricketer has been given a long tenure in the role, which runs until the end of the ODI World Cup in 2027. However, Gambhir's former teammate Joginder Sharma has predicted that Gambhir may not complete his full term as India coach and could be heading for an early exit.

Speaking on the Shubhankar Mishra podcast, Sharma said, "Gautam Gambhir team ko sambhalne waala hai lekin par mera ye manna hai ki Gautam Gambhir jyada lambe samay tak tik nahi payega (Gautam Gambhir is the one to manage the team, but I believe that Gautam Gambhir will not be able to stay for a long time)," Joginder said on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast.

Sharma also stated that Gambhir could have disagreements with a player because he sometimes makes decisions that are not liked by others.

"Kyunki Gautam Gambhir ke apne hi kuch faisle hote hain. Ho sakta hai kisi player se man motaaw ho jaye. Mai Virat Kohli ki baat nahi kar raha hun. Gautam Gambhir ke faisle kai baar aise ho jaate hain ki dusro ko pasand nahi aate (This is because Gautam Gambhir has his own decisions. It might happen that he has a disagreement with a player. I am not talking about Virat Kohli. Many times, Gautam Gambhir's decisions are such that others do not like them)," Sharma added

Notably, this is the first time Gambhir has donned the coach's hat in an official capacity. Prior to his experience as India head coach, Gambhir was a mentor for Kolkata Knight Riders where he helped the team win their third IPL title. He was also the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants, who qualified for the playoffs two years in a row under his aegis.