Gautam Gambhir’s coaching record can be examined in isolation for white-ball and red-ball cricket. Although the former Indian batsman’s head coach’s record stands tall in white-ball cricket, his Test record has been disappointing. After yesterday’s defeat in the first Test match against England in Leeds, many eyebrows have been raised over GG’s coaching mindset. A constant state of comparison between him and former India coach Ravi Shastri has been in the talks.
Following their T20I series win against South Africa in the four-match series, India has also solidified its T20 World Cup champion title. With India currently being unbeaten in T20Is, let’s scrutinize Ravi Shastri and Gautam Gambhir’s performance to date and analyze their coaching history to date.
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RAVI SHASTRI
Test Series (2017–2021)
India played some good Test cricket under Ravi Shastri. They had classic overseas victories, particularly in Australia (2-1 in 2018-19 and again 2-1 in 2020-21). India also cleaned up at home against teams such as West Indies, South Africa, and Bangladesh. But they fared poorly in destinations such as England (lost 4-1 in 2018) and New Zealand (lost 2-0 in 2020). A major success was the final of the ICC World Test Championship in 2021, although India lost to New Zealand.
ODI Series (2017–2021)
India enjoyed regular success in ODIs during this period. They won numerous bilateral series, such as in South Africa (5-1 in 2018) and Australia (2-1 in 2019). In home matches, they tended to overwhelm the visiting team. India also made it to the 2019 Cricket World Cup semi-finals in England. They were, however, eliminated by New Zealand in a close contest.
T20I Series (2017–2021)
In T20Is, India played extremely well. They have won many away series, including those in South Africa, Australia, and New Zealand. The team also triumphed at the Nidahas Trophy in Sri Lanka in 2018. A highlight was a 5-0 T20I series victory in New Zealand in 2020. India’s campaign, though, in the 2021 T20 World Cup was a disappointing one as they were eliminated in the Super 12 round.
Gautam Gambhir
Test Matches
Gautam Gambhir’s stint as a Test coach has not been fruitful till now. He lost all matches in a home series against New Zealand, which was a huge letdown. India also lost 3 matches in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Recently, they lost the first Test of the England tour. Of 11 Test matches during his tenure, India managed to win only 3, lost 7, and drew 1. His test win percentage is 27.27%, which is very low.
T20 Internationals
Gambhir started superbly as India’s T20I coach. His initial series was against Sri Lanka, shortly after senior players like Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retired from the format. India swept all three matches in that series. Ever since, the team has been performing well. Under his guidance, India has played 15 T20Is, winning 13 and losing only 2. His T20I win percentage is a whopping 90%.
One Day Internationals (ODIs)
Gambhir did not have a very good start in ODIs. India lost the initial series against Sri Lanka 2-0, with one match being a tied game. However, after that, the team came back hard and won 8 consecutive matches. This winning streak includes a major title win — the Champions Trophy 2025. Overall, Gambhir has coached India in 11 ODI matches, with 8 wins, 2 losses, and 1 tie. His win percentage in ODIs is 72.72%.
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