West Indies Coach's Special Message For Gautam Gambhir After Incredible Dressing Room Gesture

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir gave the visiting West Indies team a precious pep talk in their own dressing room after the hosts wrapped up the series 2-0 in New Delhi on Tuesday. Gambhir walked into the West Indies dressing room after speaking to their head coach, Darren Sammy, and shared his insights into the touring team's performance. Gambhir's counterpart, Sammy, took to social media on Wednesday to pay his regards to the Indian team and their support staff for the hospitality over the course of the series. Sammy also lauded Gambhir for the dressing room speech at the Arun Jaitley Stadium.

"As we leave India, I'd like to thank the BCCI for having us here and for being a great host. Plenty of lessons and learnings from this trip for my staff and players that we can apply both on and off the field. Special thanks to @GautamGambhir for taking time after the Test match to address my team with some heartfelt words. CWI will continue to find ways for us to improve and be better as a Test-playing nation in spite of all our different challenges. Till next year, next stop Bangladesh," Sammy wrote on X (formerly Twitter).

As we leave India I'd like to thank BCCI for having us here and being a great host. Plenty lessons and learnings from this trip for my staff and players that we can apply both on and off the field. Special thanks to @GautamGambhir for taking time after the test match to address… https://t.co/canAwHx922

— Daren Sammy (@darensammy88) October 15, 2025

In a video by the BCCI, Sammy, a two-time ICC T20 World Cup-winning captain himself, invited Gambhir to the dressing room, where the Indian coach expressed his privilege at playing against the West Indies and thanked the side for touring India.

Gautam hailed the West Indies for their "humility and humble nature," something he pointed out a lot of other teams, including his, could learn from.

Further encouraging the West Indies to play a better brand of cricket, Gambhir said that the team has a purpose behind playing international cricket, and "purpose is much more important than love for the game."

"When I talk about international cricket, many teams play it because they love the game, but very few teams, like the West Indies, have a purpose to play. Purpose is always more important than love. When you look at you guys, you can inspire the next generation of West Indies cricket. The way you played in the second innings, it is the template that can carry West Indies cricket forward," said Gambhir.

The Indian head coach expressed his awe for the way the West Indian batting fought right from batter one to eleven. He highlighted several "small contributions" of the team, such as Anderson Phillip facing 98 balls for 20-odd runs in the first innings down the order, and Jayden Seales facing 67 balls for his 32 during the second innings, including the 10th wicket partnership with Justin Greaves. Gambhir said that "small contributions make a team, while big contributions make headlines."

"The way batters from numbers one to 11 fought was great. In a team sport, every effort deserves credit. It is easy to talk about fifers and hundreds, and guys with these things do not need the support of coaches and support staff. It is small contributions that make a team; big contributions only make headlines. If you want to be a truly effective team, it is crucial (to make small contributions). This is what we are trying to do in our dressing room: appreciating small contributions, like Jayden playing those 70 balls, Anderson Phillip playing those 100 balls in the first innings—those are massive, massive contributions," said Gambhir.

Further advising the West Indies players, Gambhir said that the only opinions worth paying attention to should be those from those sitting inside the dressing room.

"You have such a great purpose to inspire the next generation. The amount of difficulties and challenges you face, with a smile on your face, working and playing for the nation, is, for me, the most important thing for West Indies cricket," he added.

On a concluding note, Gambhir said that "The West Indies do not need world cricket, but world cricket needs the West Indies."

"A good, solid cricketing, Test-playing nation (is what the world needs from the West Indies). When you wear that jersey, remember that you have got an opportunity to do something special, which not a lot of players get while playing T20s," he concluded.

With ANI inputs

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team West Indies Cricket Team Darren Sammy Gautam Gambhir India vs West Indies 2025 Cricket