Is Gambhir’s Strategy Backfiring?

The way Team India’s coach, Gautam Gambhir, is managing the team’s lineup has raised several eyebrows, and some of his tactics are reminiscent of former coach Greg Chappell, who had a controversial tenure with India. Just like Chappell restructured the team back then, changing roles and responsibilities, Gambhir’s methods seem to be causing disruption within the squad. While Chappell was eventually replaced, Gambhir is still under the spotlight due to India’s inconsistent performance in recent years.

Under Gambhir’s coaching, the team's track record has been far from stellar. India has suffered some of its worst defeats in recent times. For instance, India lost a series to Sri Lanka, a country that was considered an underdog for the Indian team. On home turf, India faced a humiliating clean sweep by New Zealand in the Test series. Even in Australia, after winning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy twice in a row, India’s performance last year was disappointing. Despite winning one Test match, the overall performance was poor, and the team failed to provide any serious competition.

Currently, with the ongoing Champions Trophy, victories against Pakistan and New Zealand have brought some hope, but issues within the team lineup are becoming more evident. A major concern is the handling of KL Rahul, who has been given wicketkeeping responsibilities, a position in which he has struggled. Despite his success as an opening batsman, Rahul has been unable to live up to expectations when placed in the middle order. His batting in limited-overs cricket, particularly in the middle order, has been underwhelming.

Meanwhile, keeping wicket has also proven to be a challenge for Rahul. While he is known for his batting skills, his wicketkeeping in limited-overs matches has not been up to the mark. In a recent match against New Zealand, Rahul missed some critical chances behind the stumps, failing to stop balls that a professional keeper would have. There is a noticeable gap between Rahul's abilities as a part-time keeper and the performance expected from a specialist.

The bigger issue here is the decision to bench a talented wicketkeeper like Rishabh Pant in favor of giving Rahul the gloves. Pant, who has demonstrated exceptional wicketkeeping skills and batting prowess in all formats, has been left out of the playing XI, which many see as a wasted opportunity. Pant's age and potential make it crucial to provide him with consistent chances, but currently, he is being sidelined, which many consider unfair.

Rahul’s situation is also complicated, as his batting position has been shifted, and his performance has been under scrutiny. This, combined with his wicketkeeping duties, is causing strain on both his career and the team’s lineup. While Gambhir may have had his reasons for these decisions, there is growing concern that this experimentation is detrimental to both Rahul’s and Pant’s careers.

Additionally, the team now has multiple wicketkeepers, including Ishan Kishan, but they continue to experiment with Rahul in the role, undermining his batting strengths. The ongoing shuffle in the lineup, especially with such critical roles, is raising questions about Gambhir's long-term strategy for the team.

In this environment, Rohit Sharma, the captain, seems to have little control over these decisions. The overall situation within the team appears to be uncertain, and it looks like Gambhir’s handling of the team is having a significant impact. Whether or not this strategy will yield success is yet to be seen, but it is clear that the constant changes are affecting both individual players and the overall performance of the team.