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- Why Kapil Dev says Gautam Gambhir is a manager rather than the coach of Indian cricket team
Gambhir has been under the cosh since India lost 0-2 against South Africa in the Test series in November, their second whitewash in a home series in one year after losing 0-3 to New Zealand in 2024.
By: Sports Desk December 18, 2025 11:13 PM IST
3 min read
Gautam Gambhir Head Coach of India during the 1st T20I match between Australia and India at Manuka Oval, Canberra, Australia, on October 29, 2025. (CREIMAS for BCCI)
Kapil Dev said that the modern day head coach’s is more about managing players rather than actually coaching them. Gambhir has been under the cosh since India lost 0-2 against South Africa in the Test series in November, their second whitewash in a home series in one year after losing 0-3 to New Zealand in 2024.
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“Today that word called a coach… ‘coach’ is a very common word today. Gautam Gambhir can’t be a coach. He can be a manager of the team. When you say coach, coach is where I learn in the school and college. Those were the people, my coach there. They can manage me,” Kapil said at the Indian Chamber of Commerce ICC Centenary Session.
“How can you be a coach when they have given a name to let’s say anybody a leg spinner? How can Gautam can be a coach to a leg spinner or to the wicket-keeper? I think you have to manage. That’s more important. As a manager you give them encouragement to say you can do it because when you become a manager the young boys look up to you. How can my manager or captain can give me that comfort and that’s what the manager and captain’s job is — to give comfort to the team and always say ‘you can do better’. That’s the way I look at it,” he added.
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Kapil said his own philosophy as captain was to back players going through a lean phase.
“I think you have to give comfort to the people who are not playing well. If somebody made a hundred I don’t want to have a drink and dinner with him,” he said.
“There are a lot of people there… As a captain I would like to have a drink with people or I like to have a dinner with people who are not performing.
“You need to give them the confidence and that’s what happens. So I think it’s very important as a captain and your role is not only your performance, it is also about putting the team together.”
(With agency inputs)
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