India head coach Gautam Gambhir recently created history by becoming the first coach of the Men in Blue to win two ICC titles. Under his guidance, India clinched the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and defended their T20 World Cup title in 2026. India had a few shaky moments during the early stage of the tournament but managed to find their rhythm at the right time and successfully won the T20 World Cup 2026, defeating New Zealand in the final.
What is the real test for head coach Gautam Gambhir?
After India's World Cup win, former India captain Sourav Ganguly believes Gambhir’s toughest challenge is still ahead. According to Ganguly, the real test for the Indian coach will come at the Cricket World Cup 2027 which is scheduled to be hosted by South Africa.
ALSO READ: Hardik Pandya advised not to use Rohit Sharma as an impact player in IPL 2026
"His real test in white ball is going to be in South Africa in 2027. Conditions there will test him but I am confident he will get it right with the team he has," Ganguly told MoneyControl.
India came very close to winning the ODI World Cup 2023, going unbeaten throughout the tournament before losing to Australia in the final.
Gambhir, who was part of India’s Cricket World Cup 2011 winning team as a player, will now face the challenge of delivering the trophy as head coach. The 2027 edition could also be the final World Cup opportunity for senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.
Ganguly pointed out India's decline in Test cricket
Ganguly also pointed out that India needs to improve its performance in Test cricket. Notably, since Gambhir took over as head coach, India lost two Test series on home soil against New Zealand and South Africa, respectively. Apart from that, India failed to retain the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
"In red ball, he needs to get better. And the way to do it is to think less about the wicket. He needs to get the wicket out of his system. Take the England series. He couldn't do anything about the wicket and you can see the results. He doesn't need to play on turners at home. Good wickets will produce good results," Ganguly added.
Ganguly lauded Gautam Gambhir
At the same time, Ganguly made it clear that he supports Gambhir and believes he is doing a good job with the team.
"Gautam is a very good coach. If you remember I said on your platform ahead of the Border Gavaskar Trophy that you need to give the man some time. As white ball coach he is very good especially in these conditions. He has a very good team and is a very good coach,"
After the end of the Indian Premier League 2026 season, Gambhir is expected to shift his focus back to India’s preparations in Test and ODI cricket.