India head coach Gautam Gambhir during a clean session at Eden Gardens on February 28, 2026 in Kolkata, India. (Photo/Getty Images) India head coach Gautam Gambhir said that every effort in team play deserves recognition and emphasized that the often overlooked contributions are as important as the main performances.After India’s win over the West Indies on Sunday secured them a semi-final berth, Gambhir pointed out that Shivam Dube’s two boundaries in the penultimate game were crucial to the result, as was Sanju Samson’s unbeaten 97.“I am glad you are talking about every post because for many years we have only talked about certain posts. This is a team sport and it will always remain a team sport,” Gambhir said.“For me, Shivam’s two boundaries are as important as Sanju’s 97, because if he hadn’t hit those two boundaries, you wouldn’t even be talking about it (97-run knock).”“A big contribution comes in the headlines. A small contribution, a contribution that can help the team win, cross that line, is very important,” the India coach said.Gambhir said this approach would define his tenure as coach.“And that’s why I say this will be the philosophy going forward until I’m there.
My coaching mantra is based on instinct, not data
While data analysis plays a key role in modern T20 cricket, Gambhir said he relies more on instinct than numbers.“I don’t believe in the data, honestly. I’ve never seen the data. I don’t even know what the data is about. I absolutely don’t believe it because I feel it’s more about instinct,” Gambhir said, despite the team working closely with data analyst Hari Prasad.“T20 cricket is about instinct and supporting your instinct. Whatever knowledge I have about the game and the T20 format, I try and probably pass it on to the captain, I try to help him as much as I can.Looking ahead to the semi-final against England at the Wankhede Stadium, Gambhir described the opposition as strong and the venue as challenging.“They (England) are a world class team, they are a quality team, they have a lot of quality players as well and we all know the Wankhede is a tough place.“Hopefully we will turn up and see that we have another opportunity to do something special for the team, for the country and hopefully also play our best game. That will be very important,” Gambhir said.
