Bring MS Dhoni back: Sreesanth says India ‘don’t need’ Gautam Gambhir, dismisses his T20 World Cup tally
Former Indian fast bowler S Sreesanth launched a scathing attack on India’s head coach Gautam GambhirClaiming that the national team does not need a traditional coach at this level, it is better for it to be served by a coach like the former captain MS Dhoni.
talk on LaLantube “Guest in the Newsroom” program, Sreesanth He was asked why India, once a dominant force in Test cricket, has struggled in recent years, especially after suffering home defeats to New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa in 2025.
Sreesanth interrupted the question and pointed out that the losses of both series came during Gambhir’s tenure as head coach.
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In his first season in charge, Gambhir saw India miss out on a place in the World Test Championship final. A 0-3 defeat to New Zealand at home, followed by a series of losses in Australia during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, proved costly. India then only managed a 2-2 draw against England before suffering another 0-2 defeat at home to South Africa, raising new questions about the team’s performance in the longest period.
“Change the coach, my friend. India needs a mentor, not a coach,” Sreesanth said, blaming Gambhir for India’s recent Test struggles.
The report also quoted Sreesanth, who said he had a problem with the way Gambhir was coaching. He believes the former India batsman puts “excessive pressure on players”, before citing the example of Dhoni. He explained that the international team does not need a coach who pressures the players to do something and brings them down when they fail, something “Dhoni did not do.”
Sreesanth also said that although opinions differed, India’s victory was driven by Dhoni’s mentality and the self-confidence he fostered among his teammates, adding that “Team India needs a mentor like Dhoni.”
Elaborating on his point of view, Sreesanth added: “You have to be a brother first. You can’t laugh when you win and get angry when you lose. You have done well for the country, that’s great. It doesn’t mean others don’t try. Get a mentor instead of a coach.”
Sreesanth refuses to give credit to Gambhir for his T20 World Cup win
Sreesanth also rejected the idea that Gambhir was solely responsible for India’s T20 World Cup win earlier this year, insisting that the players deserved the bulk of the credit.
He highlighted the contributions of players like Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav, while also pointing out the key decisions on the field that helped India lift the trophy.
“When the team won the World Cup, all the credit went to Gambhir. But if Sanju Samson had not been there, Suryakumar Yadav had not been captain, and the bowling changes had not been made at the right time, would we have won the match?” Sreesanth said.
He added: “Was the coach making decisions on the field? It is okay if we have a coach like Ashish Nehra, who remains involved.”
