Why the Gambhir Era Has Sparked Unrest in India's Dressing Room

The Gambhir debate is bigger than just Virat Kohli.

The Pant Episode That Set the Tone

Towards the end of 2025, when India's men's team was playing an ODI series against South Africa, Shreyas Iyer was missing from the playing XI. Rishabh Pant, who could have featured as a specialist batter despite KL Rahul keeping wickets, also found himself out of the side. Instead, the team management preferred Ruturaj Gaikwad.

For Pant, it was an early indication that his future in India's white-ball set-up under coach Gautam Gambhir was far from secure. With his place in the T20I side already uncertain and his ODI spot now under threat, Pant was on the verge of leaving the team for the remainder of the series. It was captain Rohit Sharma who intervened and persuaded him to stay.

The episode reflected the growing perception that Gambhir had developed differences with several senior members of the squad. Pant was never an obvious target — he is a proven match-winner, even if his performances are not always marked by consistency. Yet, over the past two years, Gambhir has, directly or indirectly, found himself at odds with almost every established senior player in the dressing room. The tensions, therefore, have never been limited to Virat Kohli alone.

The New Zealand Gamble That Backfired

It began with Gambhir opting for a turning track in Bengaluru against New Zealand after India had fallen 2-0 behind in the three-match series in 2024. The gamble backfired spectacularly as India went on to lose the series 3-0, leaving several senior players unhappy with the decision and the direction the team was taking.

Australia: Rohit, Bumrah, and the Leadership Question

The Australian tour only deepened those differences. Rohit Sharma, despite being named captain, wanted to take paternity leave for one Test. The BCCI approved his request, with Jasprit Bumrah leading the side in his absence. Later, after Rohit was dropped for the final Test in Sydney, Gambhir chose to back Shubman Gill over Bumrah for the long term when the leadership question became crucial.

Gill's place in the T20I side was far from assured, yet Gambhir strongly backed him for the Asia Cup despite reservations within the selection committee. Ironically, when the moment of truth arrived, Gambhir's support did not ultimately translate into a place in the T20 World Cup squad, as the selectors left Gill out.

The Hardik Pandya Contradiction

Gambhir has also not enjoyed the smoothest equation with Hardik Pandya. Publicly, he has spoken highly of the all-rounder, but his actions have often suggested otherwise. The benchmarks set for Pandya's return or retention in the side have appeared considerably more demanding than those applied to several others.

The Fast Bowling Question

With fast bowlers like Mohammed Siraj and Harshit Rana struggling with fitness, Gambhir has once again been accused by his critics of pushing them into action before they were fully fit. Gone are the days when, as many recall, then Test captain Sachin Tendulkar would still back a 50 per cent-fit Javagal Srinath because the presence of an experienced fast bowler was considered invaluable in the middle.

Axar, Surya, Shami — The Expanding List

Gambhir even dropped T20 vice-captain Axar Patel from the playing XI at one stage and later appeared to withdraw his support for T20 World Cup-winning captain Suryakumar Yadav. Taken together, these developments have fuelled the perception that not all is well inside the Indian dressing room.

Another experienced fast bowler, Mohammed Shami, has remained out of favour. According to Gambhir's critics, the coach has shown little inclination to bring him back despite his domestic performances and support from some quarters within the BCCI. As things stand, Shami remains out of the Indian team.

The Sanju Samson Arc

The manner in which Gambhir handled Sanju Samson has also come under scrutiny. After a prolific run with the bat that played a significant role in India's T20 World Cup triumph, Samson was dropped from the playing XI following three failures and was eventually left out of the Zimbabwe T20I series.

Ironically, this was the same Samson whom Gambhir had once backed as a potential future T20 captain. Today, with the emergence of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, even Samson cannot be certain of his place in India's plans for the next T20 World Cup.

The Dressing Room Question

If this is the way the Indian coach intends to manage the team — constantly unsettling an otherwise settled unit — questions naturally arise about the atmosphere inside the dressing room. How can young players feel secure when even established international stars are uncertain of their place? Wouldn't many of them begin to view the IPL as a more stable and rewarding career option?

The Kohli Retirement

Finally, there is the question of Virat Kohli's Test retirement. According to one school of thought, Kohli's decision was influenced by seeing an incumbent Test captain like Rohit Sharma being dropped from the playing XI. Faced with uncertainty over his own future, Kohli is believed to have decided to walk away from the longest format rather than continue in an environment where even the biggest names felt insecure.

Who can forget the way Gambhir first approached Kohli to take over as India's Test captain during the last Australian tour and then, within minutes, allowed chief selector Ajit Agarkar to question Kohli about his future plans? These are just a few clear examples of how Gambhir has been running the Indian team.

The Narrative Management

To counter that perception, Gambhir and those around the team attempted to improve the public narrative through strategic communication. Whether that succeeded is open to debate. But if the current culture of uncertainty continues for too long, Indian cricket could face serious long-term consequences.