Gautam Gambhir's tenure as the head coach of the Indian national cricket team has had its fair share of ups and downs, as they look to turn things around with a dominant performance in the five-match Test series against England.
Although it hasn't been smooth sailing all the time, Gambhir has managed to turn things around whenever the future looked bleak.
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The Indian head coach saw his team lose a home Test series after 12 long years, as they were handed a 3-0 whitewash by New Zealand. Gambhir's struggles continued as India failed to win the Border Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) 2024/25, which ultimately saw them bow out of contention for the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC) in June.
However, Gambhir and his boys made a remarkable comeback as they clinched the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy by staying unbeaten throughout the tournament.
Gambhir's mixed outing as the India head coach has garnered praise from Sourav Ganguly, who feels that the opener still has a long way to go.
READ MORE: Did Karthik blame Gambhir for Pant's unusual dismissal against ENG?
Sourav Ganguly lauds Gambhir's rise as India coach
In a recent interview with Sportstar, the former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President lauded Gambhir's rise as India coach, and predicted that the series vs. England will be a big assignment for him. Check out the tweet below.
Sourav Ganguly admitted he hasn’t closely observed Gautam Gambhir’s strategic workings as a coach but spoke highly of his former teammate’s character.
— Sportstar (@sportstarweb) June 22, 2025
More ➡️https://t.co/RPlFqvg5px
Courtesy: PTI pic.twitter.com/AeP0AgnsuA
Speaking about Gambhir's rise, Ganguky said, "I think Gautam's doing a good job. He started off a little slow with Australia and losing against New Zealand, but he picked up with the Champions Trophy. [I think] This is going to be a big series for him."
The former Indian captain further admitted that he hasn't observed Gambhir's strategy up close, but he knows that the opener is very passionate about his job.
"I haven't seen him that close, but he is passionate. I've not seen the strategy closely because I've never worked with him. I played with him; he was a great guy with a lot of respect for me and the other seniors in the squad. I see him now; he is very passionate about his job."
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Ganguly further mentioned that Gambhir's very straightforward with whatever he does and wants in life. He also said that he expects the India coach to learn and grow and become better, and wished all the best for his future.
"He's very straightforward. He says things, and he's very open about everything - what he feels about people, teams, and players. He just started a year ago, struggled a bit in Australia but this series will be important for him. Like everyone else, he will also learn, grow and become better. I wish him all the best."
Gambhir and co. will look to bury their woes in the Test cricket in the recent past, as they look to start off with a comprehnsive performance against the Three Lions in the first Test at Headingly.