Gautam Gambhir is not enjoying the same authority and backing from the Indian Cricket Board as he did a year ago. According to a report from cricblogger.com, the head coach is facing the heat, having lost the trust of some of the stakeholders and the team.

The report claimed some of the officials of the BCCI feel Gambhir has blamed the players for defeats and the members of the support staff hardly take responsibility for the decisions made by the management.

This perception has also impacted the environment of the dressing room. 

Some senior players have got in touch with the apex body of Indian cricket to express their reservations about the coaching style of Gambhir. While Gambhir continues to be backed, the officials are not pleased with his failure to justify the control he has over the team combinations, including the say in picking support staff and influence in selection calls.

After defeats to South Africa and Australia, the responsibility for the below-par performance was put on the players, with Gambhir avoiding major scrutiny.

He was slammed on social media for blaming the transition phase for the losses.

However, the mood in the BCCI camp has changed, making the upcoming two-Test tour of Sri Lanka crucial for the head of the support staff. Another poor series in red-ball cricket could lead to serious consequences.

India haven’t been able to dominate Test cricket since Gambhir replaced Rahul Dravid as coach across formats, and the recent debacle in the UK was taken seriously, but the veteran has a contract till the 2027 ODI World Cup in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia. 

The sub-continent nation has also been impacted by injuries, with most of the first-choice players facing fitness issues.

Jasprit Bumrah is the latest player to break down and has been ruled out of the Sri Lanka tour. 

Harshit Rana, Washington Sundar, Hardik Pandya and Nitish Kumar Reddy are also out of action, forcing the selectors to look for different options and combinations. The growing injury list has also made life difficult for the coach and captain of the Indian National Cricket Team.

India will play nine more Tests in the ongoing 2025-27 World Test Championship cycle, with seven wins needed to make it to the final.

However, the away series to Sri Lanka and New Zealand are not going to be easy, and with Australia visiting India for five red-ball matches next year, the situation has become alarming.