Overview:
Gambhir's decision to persist with Shubman Gill as an opener is also being questioned by former players.
South Africa defeated India in the second T20I to level the five-match series, and the spotlight has again shifted to head coach Gautam Gambhir.
After the loss, a video is going viral on social media, showing Hardik Pandya and Gambhir in an animated conversation. There is no audio in the clip, but the body language of the two is enough to read what went wrong.
The team management changed the batting order and promoted Axar Patel to No.3 in a chase of 215 runs. The southpaw never got going and failed to hit big shots. Hardik managed just 20 runs off 23 balls when he was supposed to accelerate the scoring rate. His knock put the team under pressure, something India can’t afford in the upcoming matches.
Heated conversation between Hardik and Gambhir 👀pic.twitter.com/VtISwnS2FN
— Amar💫 (@KUNGFU_PANDYA_0) December 12, 2025
In the series opener, Pandya managed an unbeaten 59 runs off 28 balls and put India in a strong position. The Men in Blue won the game by 101 runs, and Hardik was named the Player of the Match. However, South African bowlers didn’t allow Pandya to free his hands despite the dew making batting easy in New Chandigarh.
Meanwhile, Gambhir’s decision to persist with Shubman Gill as an opener is also being questioned by former players. Sanju Samson, who scored three T20I hundreds, is warming the bench as the coach is adamant to open with Gill. The 2026 T20 World Cup is in February, and the Men in Blue are still in the experiment mode. There is no clarity about the roles, and the coach and captain Suryakumar Yadav have urged every batter to be flexible, meaning they will continue to change the batting slots.
With the series tied 1-1, India would be looking to make a strong comeback in the third T2OI on Sunday. The contest will be played in Dharamsala. The Gautam Gambhir-led management will be keen to solve the issues and bring the preparations back on track for the 2026 World Cup.