Gautam Gambhir’s future as Indian team head coach safe as BCCI refutes rumors of sacking him

Devajit Saikia, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), has vehemently denied any intentions to succeed Gautam Gambhir as head coach of the Indian Test team. In all formats, Gambhir's tenure as India's head coach has produced mixed results.

India has had tremendous success in white-ball cricket under his direction, taking home the ICC and ACC limited-overs titles. But in Test cricket, where India has lost 10 matches against SENA countries, the same level of consistency has not materialized, raising questions about the team's red-ball tactics.

Following South Africa's 0-2 victory over India last month, which was their second Test whitewash in two years, he came under intense scrutiny.

VVS Laxman, the Head of Cricket at the Center of Excellence in Bengaluru, was reportedly linked to a possible role in the red-ball setup after the event, according to speculations that the BCCI had investigated other options. The discussion became more heated as India's test results came under further scrutiny.

However, rumors about Gautam Gambhir's future as India's Test coach have been categorically denied by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia. Saikia vehemently refuted the accusations, reiterating that no coach has been contacted and that the board has not discussed replacing Gambhir in any manner. 

He underlined that Gambhir's contract is good until the 2027 ODI World Cup and that the current coaching setup remains unchanged.

"The reports currently circulating are entirely inaccurate and purely speculative. Despite being carried by some reputed media outlets, there is no truth to these claims. The BCCI categorically denies them and has taken no such steps. These reports are based on conjecture and imagination, are factually incorrect, and are completely baseless,” Saikia told ANI.

In the current WTC 2025–27 cycle, India has a demanding red-ball schedule. A visit of Sri Lanka in August and a second two-Test series in New Zealand in October are among India's Test commitments. The five-Test BGT 2027 series at home against Australia will come next.

Meanwhile, Gambhir will also have an eye on the white-ball formats as well. India will play New Zealand in three ODIs and five T20Is and then the T20 World Cup 2026 tournament that begins on February 7 in Sri Lanka and India.

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