Former Indian pacer S Sreesanth set his sights on the head coach Gautam Gambhirquestioning the extent of the former opener’s contribution to India’s recent white-ball success and arguing that the players deserve far more credit for the team’s achievements.India enjoyed a remarkable run in limited-overs cricket under Gambhir, winning ICC Champions Trophy 2025, Asia Cup and T20 World Cup 2026. After the World Cup triumph on home soil, Gambhir was widely praised for leading the team to yet another world title. Sreesanth, however, does not feel that the success should be attributed primarily to the head coach.Speaking about Lallantop’s ‘Guest in the Newsroom’, the former fast bowler highlighted the contributions of players like Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadavsuggesting that they played a much bigger role in India’s campaign to win the World Cup.“When the team won the World Cup, all the credit went to Gambhir. But if Sanju Samson had not been there had we won the World Cup?, Suryakumar Yadav had not been the captain and the bowling changes had not been made at the right time, would we have won the game?” Sreesanth said.Samson proved to be one of India’s most outstanding performers during the tournament. Initially left out of the playing XI for the opening matches, the wicketkeeper-batsman produced a sensational performance after returning to the side. He finished as player of the tournament, scoring 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37 as India secured their third T20 World Cup title.Suryakumar also captained the side during the successful campaign. However, despite leading India to the trophy, he has since lost his place in the T20I line-up following a prolonged slump in form, with Shreyas Iyer took over as captain.Sreesanth further downplayed the head coach’s role, arguing that players and on-field leaders are ultimately responsible for key decisions during matches. He also pointed to the former India pacer and current coach Ashish Nehra as an example of a more actively involved coach.“Was the coach taking decisions on the field? It’s fine if we have a coach like Ashish Nehra, who stays involved,” he added.The former Indian cricketer also linked India’s recent struggles in Test cricket to Gambhir’s tenure. Calling for a different approach, Sreesanth questioned the team’s direction in the longest format and suggested a change was needed.“Change the coach, my friend. India needs a mentor, not a coach,” he said.The comments add to the growing debate over Gambhir’s influence as head coach, even as India continue to enjoy considerable success in white-ball cricket.
