Harbhajan Singh calls out Gambhir over series of losses

Former Indian spinner Harbhajan Singh has raised questions over the capabilities of Gautam Gambhir as head coach following a series of losses.

Gambhir took charge as head coach from Rahul Dravid after India lifted the T20 World Cup 2024 trophy last year, however, the first six months of his tenure proved to be a disaster for India.

Under Gautam Gambhir’s tenure, India were defeated by Sri Lanka in an ODI series followed by a whitewash at the hands of New Zealand on their home turf.

The Indian team further slumped after they were thrashed by Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy.

India, the tourists, won the first game in Perth, however, they lost three of the remaining four games while one was drawn.

It was the first time in over a decade that India lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, while they were also knocked out of the race for a place in the World Test Championship final.

Reacting to the recent loss in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Harbhajan Singh mentioned the downturn in India’s performance since Gautam Gambhir arrived as the head coach.

“Everything was fine till Rahul Dravid was there. India won the World Cup, and everything was fine. But what happened suddenly? In the past six months, we lost to Sri Lanka, a series whitewash against New Zealand, and now a 3-1 defeat in Australia. Everything seems to have fallen apart,” the former Indian spinner said on his YouTube channel.

Following the defeat in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, several cricket experts and former Indian cricketers mentioned the impact of the ‘star culture’ on the team’s performance.

Harbhajan Singh is among those who urged Indian selectors and Gautam Gambhir to leave the fame-driven glorification.

“Every player has a reputation. If this is the thing, then add Kapil Dev, Anil Kumble, or those who have been India’s biggest match-winners. BCCI and selectors should take hold. India should leave behind the superstar attitude. Abhimanyu Easwaran was taken on tour, but he didn’t play. He can become a player for India if he is given the opportunity. Sarfaraz is the same case. The player who performs should go [to England]. You should not pick players on reputation,” he said.