Indian cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir is back at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, but not as a captain or a player. The first match of the five-match T20I series between India and England at the Eden Gardens will be Gambhir’s first assignment as head coach in Kolkata.
Ahead of the first T20I on Wednesday, January 22, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Snehashish Ganguly has called for calm and patience as Gautam Gambhir faces mounting criticism following the Indian national cricket team’s recent travails.
CAB president urges patience for Gautam Gambhir ahead of India-England T20I opener
Despite his impressive credentials, including mentoring Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to the IPL 2024 title and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) to the playoffs twice, Gambhir’s tenure as coach of the Indian team has had a rocky start, especially in ODI and Test cricket.
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Under the leadership of Gautam Gambhir, the Indian national cricket team lost an ODI series against Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years. The Indian cricket team also suffered a home Test series defeat after 24 years when New Zealand won the historic Test series 3-0 last year.
Adding to the woes, the Indian cricket team also lost the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia in the decade earlier this year. These failures led to intense scrutiny of Gambhir’s leadership and even speculation of unrest in the Indian dressing room, creating a lot of buzz.
We should give him some time: Snehashish Ganguly
However, amid rumors of a rift between senior players and the coaching staff, Cricket Association of Bengal (CAB) president Snehashish Ganguly stressed that coaching at the international level takes time and faith, saying greatness is rarely achieved overnight.
Ganguly also highlighted Gambhir’s success with Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) as he noted that the Indian coach’s ability to turn things around should not be underestimated. He urged fans and critics to trust the process and give Gambhir more time to get the best out of the Indian team.
ANI quoted Snehashish Ganguly as saying, “I feel happy about his approach. After 12 years as a coach, he continued to succeed for KKR. We should give him some time. It has been a few months since he led the team after Rahul Dravid.”
Mohammed Shami is fit and ready to go: CAB president
Meanwhile, Mohammed Shami is all set to return to the national colors after 14 months and the CAB president expressed his excitement over the return of India’s experienced pacer. He also highlighted Mohammed Shami’s impressive performance for Bengal after a one-year break.
The CAB president said his fitness and form reminds him of Mohammed Shami of old at his best, and he believes the Kolkata crowd will be eager to see him in action in the upcoming opener of the five-match T20I series against England at the Eden Gardens.
Ganguly signed off by saying, “The most important thing is that the entire crowd in Kolkata will be watching Mohammed Shami. He came back after a year and bowled very well for Bengal. I watched his bowling and he seemed to be in excellent form. He looks like the Mohammed Shami of old – fit and ready.”
