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Former India pacer S Sreesanth has taken aim at head coach Gautam Gambhir, questioning the extent of the former opener’s contribution to India’s recent white-ball success and arguing that players deserve far more credit for the team’s achievements.India have enjoyed a remarkable run in limited-overs cricket under Gambhir, winning the ICC Champions Trophy in 2025, the Asia Cup and the 2026 T20 World Cup. Following the World Cup triumph on home soil, Gambhir received widespread praise for guiding the team to another global title. Sreesanth, however, does not believe the success should be primarily attributed to the head coach.Speaking on The Lallantop’s ‘Guest in the Newsroom’, the former fast bowler highlighted the contributions of players such as Sanju Samson and Suryakumar Yadav, suggesting they played a much bigger role in India’s World Cup-winning campaign.“When the team won the World Cup, all the credit went to Gambhir. But if Sanju Samson hadn’t been there had we won the world cup?, Suryakumar Yadav hadn’t captained, and the bowling changes hadn’t been made at the right time, would we have won the match?” Sreesanth said.Samson emerged as one of India’s standout performers during the tournament. Initially left out of the playing XI for the opening matches, the wicketkeeper-batter made a sensational impact after returning to the side. He finished as the Player of the Tournament, scoring 321 runs in five innings at an average of 80.25 and a strike rate of 199.37 as India secured their third T20 World Cup title.Suryakumar also captained the side during the successful campaign. However, despite leading India to the trophy, he has since lost his place in the T20I setup following a prolonged dip in form, with Shreyas Iyer taking over as captain.Sreesanth further downplayed the role of the head coach, arguing that players and on-field leaders were ultimately responsible for key decisions during matches. He also pointed to former India pacer and current coach Ashish Nehra as an example of a more actively involved coach.“Was the coach making decisions on the field? It’s fine if we have a coach like Ashish Nehra, who remains involved,” he added.The former India cricketer also linked India’s recent struggles in Test cricket to Gambhir’s tenure. Calling for a different approach, Sreesanth questioned the team’s direction in the longest format and suggested a change was needed.“Change the coach, friend. India needs a mentor, not a coach,” he said.The comments add to the growing debate around Gambhir’s impact as head coach, even as India continue to enjoy significant success in white-ball cricket.
