'Gautam Gambhir country ke liye kitno se dushmani le raha hai': Munaf Patel defends India coach

Former Indian cricketer Munaf Patel has backed men's cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir, saying that if he is removed from his position as the head coach, it will become tough to handle players, adding that many people don’t like Gambhir because he is a genuine person.

“Just remember this, if a head coach like Gautam Gambhir is removed, then handling the players will become very difficult. He is a genuine person; he calls the truth as it is and many people don’t like that," Munaf said while speaking on TOI Sports' Bombay Sport Exchange Podcast.

Gambhir has won three major titles — the Champions Trophy, Asia Cup and T20 World Cup — during his tenure so far. However, India’s results in Test cricket during his tenure have led to criticism and questions over his position.

However, Munaf, who was part of India’s 2011 World Cup-winning team, said Gambhir’s presence is important in maintaining control within the team.

"Gambhir is the only one who’s handling the players today. Other than him, the players won’t be handled by other coaches. Because he's still feared — because he loves cricket, not money. You will never see him fighting for money. He doesn’t even need money, nor has he ever been like that," said Munaf on TOI Sports' Bombay Sport Exchange Podcast.

"I am saying, Gambhir is a true human being. He speaks the truth. Many people don’t like it because he speaks on the face. He doesn’t have any betrayal in his mind."

Senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma have been key figures in world cricket for over a decade, having been coached earlier under coaches Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid.

Gambhir took charge in July 2024 at a time when the team was entering a transition phase. More than a year into his tenure, concerns over performances in Test cricket led to discussions around the future of Kohli and Rohit in the format and both retired from Tests after India lost the Border-Gavaskar series in 2024-25.

Patel said Gambhir has the "guts" to drop players. "If Gambhir leaves after three years, then you will see things become more scattered. Because he can keep control. Absolutely—he has a complete controlling system. And everyone knows that if anything goes wrong, he has the guts to drop players," Munaf further said.

The former India bowler even said that a coach "shouldn’t be a friend." "The coach should have control. He can’t be a friend. If he is, then you are spoiling the system. There should be fear," Patel added while talking on TOI Sports' Bombay Sport Exchange Podcast.

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"Think about it—how many enemies Gautam Gambhir is making while doing this job. In commentary panel, 8 out of 10 people are against him. 4 out of 5 selectors will be against him. But still, he does his work, Munaf Patel added.