Gautam Gambhir Taunted By Fans In Ranchi Ahead Of 1st South Africa ODI: "Coaching Chord Do"

Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir was brutally taunted by fans at the JSCA International Stadium Complex in Ranchi ahead of the first ODI encounter against South Africa. Gambhir came under a lot of fire following India's Test series loss against the Proteas which included a 408-run loss in Guwahati. The head coach, along with his team management, was criticised heavily for their playing XI choices and some former cricketers even suggested sacking Gambhir as the red-ball coach. During one of the practice sessions, a fan yelled from the stands that Gambhir should not coach the team anymore and added that India should forget about the 2027 World Cup considering they cannot beat South Africa at home. "3-0 ghar mein [vs New Zealand in 2024]. [South] Africa ke saamne 1-0 [2-0]. Coaching chhod do. South Africa ke saamne ghar mein nahi jeet sakte, 2027 ka World Cup bhool jao," the fan said.

This Gambhir cooking is insanepic.twitter.com/54hRNyQSmX

— Suprvirat (@Mostlykohli) November 28, 2025

Earlier, KL Rahul, who will lead the side in the absence of regular captain Shubman Gill, confirmed clarity over his own batting position.

Speaking about where he will bat, Rahul said at the pre-match press conference, "Like I said to him (Gautam Gambhir), it's not finalised exactly what the XI will be, but I will be batting in the same position. I've been playing at number 6 since the Champions Trophy. I will be batting there, and obviously there are all-rounders like (Ravindra) Jadeja, Washington Sundar and Nitish Reddy. We have all these options. We'll see what the best XI is and we'll make that decision in the evening, and you'll find out tomorrow."

Rahul has scored 243 runs at number six in 10 innings, with a highest score of 42 not out and an average of 40.50. When asked about the pitch conditions in Ranchi, Rahul admitted the team had not yet had a close look at it.

"Honestly, I haven't seen it yet but looking at the history of ODIs, we are expecting good wickets and good runs. There will be some dew factor in the second innings. These are the few things that we could assess yesterday. So, we will try and manage our team and tactics in a way where it gives us the best chance to win," he said.

(With ANI inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team South Africa Cricket Team Gautam Gambhir India vs South Africa 2025, India Cricket