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Since taking charge of the Indian team as head coach in July 2024, Gambhir suffered a 0-3 defeat in the Test series at home against New Zealand and a 1-3 defeat in the away Test series against Australia.
Robin Uthappa slams Gautam Gambhir’s critics. (Picture Credit: AFP)
Former Indian batter Robin Uthappa has slammed critics of India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who is facing a lot of criticism these days for his coaching methods as well as reportedly creating unrest in India’s dressing room. It has been reported that all is not well within the Indian team, and many fans believe that it is due to Gambhir’s presence. Many of them have even compared him with India’s former head coach Greg Chappell.
But according to Uthappa, who shared the dressing room with Gambhir during his playing days for India as well as for Kolkata Knight Riders, the 43-year-old’s coaching style is different from Chappell’s, and he is very straightforward.
“I disagree with you that his style is similar to Greg Chappell’s,” Uthappa said on The Lallantop.
“I don’t agree with it at all. I have not met a more straightforward person than Gauti. He is very direct. You may not like what he says, but he will tell it to you on your face; you can be sure of that, and I love people like that. According to me, these people have a good life. They say whatever they are thinking, and that is enough. You get what you see; that is better than being a different person behind someone’s back. I prefer someone being straightforward with me, and Gauti is very, very straight.”
Uthappa feels Gambhir’s recent struggles as head coach are due to managing different skippers and different teams, which are filled with different personalities.
“He likes to run the ship, and right now, after the World Cup and him joining the team, he is joining a side of two different teams, in fact three different leaders now. You have SKY, Rohit, and then the ODI side is Hardik, right? It is still Rohit, sorry. There are those different styles he has to adjust to right now, one where he has complete control, with T20Is. He is running the ship, and he is taking SKY along and evolving him as a leader. There is freedom there,” he added.
After India’s captain Rohit Sharma opted out of the fifth Test against Australia in Sydney, it was reported that he has been dropped from the playing XI by Gambhir, and all is not well between the two.
But according to Uthappa, there’s no bad blood between the two, and in fact, Gambhir respects Rohit a lot.
“It is not like the chemistry is not there. It is there, and you can see it in Gambhir’s interviews. He respects and likes Rohit a lot. Sometimes, relationships take time, as both are leaders with their own styles,” he added.
