"You Could Be Fired": Ravi Shastri's Clear Warning And Golden Advice To Under-Pressure Gautam Gambhir

It would not be an exaggeration to say that India head coach Gautam Gambhir is under pressure, particularly after the recent 0-2 home Test series loss to South Africa. Gambhir has received criticism aplenty from fans and experts alike, having become the first coach in Indian cricket history to oversee two home Test series whitewashes. However, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has shared some advice to Gambhir on how to handle the situation. Shastri has acknowledged that Gambhir could be fired, but asked him to deal with the matter with calmness and patience.

"If your performance is poor, you could be fired. Therefore, you need to maintain patience. Communication and man-management skills are crucial here," said Shastri, in an interview with Prabhat Khabar, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

"Only then can you motivate the players to win. And that's what we did. The most important thing is to enjoy whatever you do. Don't take it as pressure," he added.

During his tenure of a year and a half as India's head coach, Gambhir has experienced some big highs and some devastating lows.

In this period, Team India have won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the Asia Cup 2025 titles, clinching both trophies without losing a single game.

However, India's form in red-ball cricket has nosedived considerably. Under Gambhir, India have been whitewashed at home by New Zealand and South Africa, and have also lost to Australia Down Under.

In the meantime, Gambhir's relationship with star players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has also received scrutiny, with multiple reports stating that the head coach's dynamic with the two stalwarts has soured over time.

Gambhir's next major assignment as India's head coach comes in the form of the T20 World Cup 2026 on home soil, for which the hosts will be firm favourites.

Topics mentioned in this article

Ravi Shastri Gautam Gambhir India Cricket Team Cricket