Gautam Gambhir has thick skin, knows how to block criticism: Murali Kartik

Former India spinner Murali Kartik believes Gautam Gambhir has the thick skin needed to deal with criticism and knows how to insulate himself from the noise surrounding his tenure as India’s head coach.

Gambhir has come under considerable scrutiny since taking charge in July 2024. While he has enjoyed success in white-ball cricket, India’s inconsistent performances in Test cricket and disappointing results in some bilateral assignments have raised questions about his coaching methods, team selection and approach.

“Unfortunately that’s what you signed up for and that’s what you get. Sometimes you need to have a very thick skin. Create a skin where nothing can touch you. That’s the kind of person you have to become. What social media has done where anyone can say anything, unfortunately this is going to happen,” Kartik said on Cricbuzz.

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“You have to isolate yourself from all that and look at your own intentions. As a coach, you can only look at your intentions and that’s all that matters,” added Kartik.

Gambhir also addressed criticism of India’s preparation following their seven-wicket defeat in the fifth T20I against New Zealand. With India having already sealed the series, the head coach felt that people were quick to judge the team based on results without understanding the circumstances or processes behind its performances.

“If we hadn’t won this series, nobody would have talked about one practice session. Then everybody would have said, ‘Oh, how poor this Indian team is, everything has gone wrong after the World Cup’. That’s the reality. It’s no secret that in India people only see results, nothing else,” Gambhir said.

MIXED RESULTS ACCORDING TO GAMBIHIR

Gambhir’s tenure has witnessed contrasting fortunes across formats. India won the Champions Trophy in 2025, the Asia Cup later and the T20 World Cup in 2026, making it a dominant force in white-ball cricket.

However, Test cricket was the main problem. India suffered a 0–3 home series defeat against New Zealand in 2024, lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1–3 in Australia and subsequently lost 0–2 against South Africa at home in 2025.

India’s recent T20I tour of New Zealand also produced mixed results. The visitors won the first three games and took an elusive 3-0 lead in the five-game series. However, New Zealand fought back, winning the fourth T20I by 87 runs and the fifth by seven wickets in Hamilton. India eventually clinched the series 3-2.

India also won the first two ODIs of the ongoing tour before the third match was scrapped. With the series still in the balance, India will look to seal the ODI rubber when the fourth match is played at the Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 12.

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