Get MS Dhoni as a mentor: Sreesanth says India doesn’t need coach Gautam Gambhir
Former India fast bowler S Sreesanth has launched a scathing criticism of head coach Gautam Gambhir, arguing that the national team would be better served by a mentor in the form of former captain MS Dhoni rather than a conventional coach.
Speaking on The Lallantop’s Guest in the Newsroom, Sreesanth questioned Gambhir’s influence in the side and linked India’s recent struggles in Test cricket to his tenure as head coach.
The discussion centered on India’s decline in the longest format after a period of sustained dominance. The team suffered a 0–3 defeat in the 2024 home series against New Zealand before losing another home series against South Africa in 2025. Among these setbacks, India also missed out on a place in the Test World Cup finals after a disappointing run of results that included a series defeat in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
Even before the question was finished, Sreesanth interjected to point out that all the setbacks were under Gambhir’s watch.
“Change the coach, my friend. India needs a mentor, not a coach,” Sreesanth said.
The former pacer said his disapproval stems from the way Gambhir is managing the team. According to Sreesanth, international cricketers require guidance and support rather than constant pressure and cited Dhoni’s leadership style as an ideal example.
“I have a problem with the way he coaches. There is too much pressure on the players. You need a mentor at this level. Dhoni never put pressure on the players and then dropped them if things didn’t work,” Sreesanth said.
The 2007 T20 World Cup winner and 2011 ODI World Cup winner claimed that many of India’s greatest successes were built on the culture created by Dhoni in the dressing room. He said Dhoni’s greatest strength was the confidence he instilled in the players and the freedom he gave them to express themselves.
“Team India needs a mentor like Dhoni,” Sreesanth said.
“You have to be a brother first. You can’t just laugh when you win and get angry when you lose. You did good for the country, that’s great. That doesn’t mean others aren’t trying. Having a mentor over a coach.”
Sreesanth also disputed the narrative that Gambhir was the driving force behind India’s triumph in the T20 World Cup earlier this year. While he appreciated the coach’s contributions, he argued that too much credit was directed at the support staff and not enough at the players who performed on the field.
“When the team won the World Cup, all the credit went to Gambhir. But if Sanju Samson wasn’t there, Suryakumar Yadav wasn’t the captain and the bowling changes weren’t made at the right time, would we have won the match?” said Sreesanth.
He went on to argue that coaches should complement players rather than dominate conversations about success, adding that the influence of figures like Ashish Nehra comes from their ability to remain closely connected to the dressing room.
“Was the coach deciding on the field? It’s fine when we have a coach like Ashish Nehra who stays involved,” he added.
Gambhir, who took over as India’s head coach following Rahul Dravid’s exit, has overseen mixed results across formats. While India lifted the T20 World Cup during his tenure, the team’s performances in Test cricket came under scrutiny after a series of disappointing results at home and away, leading to a growing debate about the side’s direction in the format.
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Issued by:
Saurabh Kumar
Published on:
19 Jun 2026 12:23 IST