"Job Is To Take Right Decisions": Gautam Gambhir Hits Back At Critics Over Team Selection

Gautam Gambhir (Source: AFP)

India head coach Gautam Gambhir has hit back at critics over his decision-making regarding the Indian cricket team. The former opener explained that the primary focus of his job is to take the “right decisions” instead of making everyone happy. 

It is worth noting that Gambhir has been coping much criticism lately from several factions of Indian cricket fan community, whenever a certain cricketer gets dropped or rested from the national playing XI.

Gautam Gambhir explains his job as India coach

While speaking with the broadcasters ahead of India’s fifth T20I match against New Zealand in Hamilton, India head coach Gautam Gambhir defended his decision-making process for the national cricket team.

Emphasizing the need of taking the right decisions, the former opening batter explained that the correct decision does not necessarily have to be the “popular decision” every time.

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He said, “First of all, my job is not to make everyone happy. My job is to take the right decisions, not the popular decisions. And that is what I'm there for.”

The cricketer-turned-coach further explained that top-performing players are often given a longer rope in the team owing to their impressive track record in recent games.

Gautam Gambhir added, “I think guys who have done phenomenally well over a longer period of time obviously deserve a longer rope.”

Gambhir’s remarks occur at the height of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi debate

Team India currently has plenty of options in the bench. A senior player like Suryakumar Yadav was recently dropped from the national squad mere weeks after he led India to a historic T20 World Cup 2026 win this year.

Meanwhile, teenage prodigy Vaibhav Sooryavanshi hardly gets a crack in the Indian playing XI, considering the team management has been backing Abhishek Sharma and Sanju Samson as India’s preferred T20I openers. 

Moreover, Sooryavanshi was named in India squad back in June this year for a two-match T20I series in Ireland. Despite being named in India’s every T20I series squad since then, the blistering left-handed opener has played just 10 of the 25 matches played by the national side.

Apart from coping criticism for his repeated ignorance of Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, head coach Gautam Gambhir has also been questioned for constantly favoring injury-prone bowling all-rounders Washington Sundar and Harshit Rana in the playing XI.  

Ultimately, Gambhir’s approach suggests that team selection will continue to be guided by performance, consistency and long-term plans rather than outside expectations.

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