Overview:
Ganguly also mentioned that India must focus on improving its performance in Test cricket. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in Gambhir’s leadership.
India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first coach from the country to win two ICC trophies. After guiding the team to victory in the Champions Trophy 2025, he added another major achievement by leading India to the T20 World Cup 2026 title. The team faced a few setbacks early in the tournament but gradually found momentum and delivered strong performances when it mattered most, successfully retaining the T20 World Cup.
Despite these accomplishments, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly believes Gambhir’s biggest challenge is still ahead. According to Ganguly, the real test for the Indian coach will come during the 50‑over Cricket World Cup in 2027, which is scheduled to take place in South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.
“His real test in white-ball cricket will come in South Africa in 2027. The conditions will be tough, but I’m confident he can handle it with the squad he has,” Ganguly told Boria Majumdar in an interview with Money Control.
India had come extremely close to winning the ODI World Cup in 2023, dominating the tournament and remaining unbeaten until the final. However, their campaign ended in disappointment after Australia defeated them in the title clash.
Gambhir, who was part of India’s World Cup-winning squad as a player in 2011, now carries the responsibility of achieving similar success as a coach. The 2027 World Cup could also be the final opportunity for experienced players such as Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to capture another ODI World Cup title.
Ganguly also mentioned that India must focus on improving its performance in Test cricket. Nevertheless, he expressed confidence in Gambhir’s leadership and believes the coach has the ability to guide the team toward greater success.
“In Test cricket, he needs to improve. The key is to stop overthinking about the pitch. He should focus less on the wicket itself. Take the England series as an example he couldn’t influence the pitch, and the results showed that. There’s no need to insist on playing on turning tracks at home, good pitches naturally lead to positive outcomes,” Ganguly added.
Nevertheless, Ganguly voiced his full support for India’s head coach.
“Gautam is a very good coach. If you recall, I mentioned on your platform before the Border-Gavaskar Trophy that he needed some time. As a white-ball coach, he’s excellent, particularly in these conditions. He has a strong team and is a highly capable coach,” Ganguly concluded.