IND vs SA 2025: ‘Gautam Gambhir is not a coach’ – Former India captain shares blunt statement amid mounting pressure

1983 World Cup-winning captain Kapil Dev opined that Gautam Gambhir can be a manager of the Indian team, but certainly not a coach. The former India opener has been garnering massive criticism of late after the Men in Blue were whitewashed by South Africa 0-2 in a Test series at home last month. Gambhir’s coaching stint with the Indian team has not been smooth, with Test series defeats against Australia, New Zealand, and now the Proteas raising concerns.

Kapil suggested that the term ‘coach’ is often misunderstood in contemporary cricket. According to the legendary cricketer, players get coaching when they are young. However, when they arrive on the international stage, they already possess unique skill sets, making the traditional idea of coaching unrealistic.

“Today, that word called a coach ‘coach’ is a very common word today. Gautam Gambhir can’t be a coach. He can be a manager of the team. When you say coach, coach is where I learn in the school and college. Those were the people, my coach there. They can manage me,” Kapil said while speaking at the Indian Chamber of Commerce ICC Centenary Session.

“How can you be a coach when they have given a name to let’s say anybody a leg spinner? How can Gautam can be a coach to a leg spinner or to the wicket-keeper? I think you have to manage. That’s more important. As a manager you give them encouragement to say you can do it because when you become a manager the young boys look up to you,” the Haryana Hurricane added.

Kapil stated that the principal job of a captain or a coach-turned-player is to provide comfort and confidence to a player who is struggling with a lack of form.

“How can my manager or captain can give me that comfort and that’s what the manager and captain’s job is – to give comfort to the team and always say ‘you can do better’. That’s the way I look at it,” he said.

If somebody made a hundred, I don’t want to have a drink and dinner with him: Kapil Dev

Kapil also mentioned that a coach should spend more time with someone who is not performing well rather than being around an in-form player.

“I think you have to give comfort to the people who are not playing well. If somebody made a hundred, I don’t want to have a drink and dinner with him. There are a lot of people there As a captain I would like to have a drink with people or I like to have a dinner with people who are not performing,” Kapil said.

“You need to give them the confidence and that’s what happens. So I think it’s very important as a captain and your role is not only your performance, it is also about putting the team together,” he concluded.