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gautam gambhir testing time: As the year 2025 ends and 2026 begins, the situation for Gautam Gambhir remains average. An average performance in red-ball cricket against South Africa followed by a 1-2 series loss against New Zealand in the 50-over format has made the situation critical for the head coach and his only hope now is the T20 World Cup.
The next six weeks could determine Gautam Gambhir’s legacy as India’s head coach. With the T20 series against New Zealand, this is Gambhir’s last chance to finalize India’s title defense before the World Cup. The World Cup will begin on February 7 with a match against USA in Mumbai. Gambhir has faced a lot of criticism in the last two months. An average performance in red-ball cricket against South Africa, followed by a 1-2 series loss against New Zealand in the 50-over format, has made the situation critical.
However, I wouldn’t make too much of a fuss about the white-ball loss, as the 20-over World Cup is just around the corner, and 50-over cricket is largely irrelevant, as the next ODI World Cup is still 20 months away. Whatever happens now will not have a major impact on the preparations for the World Cup, and the nature of each team will change in the meantime. Red-ball cricket is certainly a concern, but the same cannot be said about the 50-over format.
For coach Gautam Gambhir, T20 cricket is his favorite format, after achieving success here and understanding the template of the format well. 2026 has already started with a bang in this format. Most importantly, he has a strong team. The return of four key match-winners will certainly change the makeup of the team, and the return of Jasprit Bumrah, Abhishek Sharma, Varun Chakraborty, and most importantly, Hardik Pandya will boost India’s morale. Pandya remains India’s most valuable T20 player and provides the necessary balance. Sanju Samson and Abhishek will be expected to provide an attacking opening at the top of the order, while Gambhir will want Tilak Verma to recover in time and Suryakumar Yadav to return to form.
Indeed, all eyes will be on the captain, especially in the remaining matches of the New Zealand series. All in all, this is a very capable Indian team. Knockout matches are always unpredictable. One innings or one spell can change the entire match. But it is also true that if one were to predict the winner of a bilateral T20 series between India and another team, most people would prefer India in this format. That is the strength of the team, and ahead of the World Cup, there is every reason to believe they have a realistic chance of winning the title.
The next few days of the tournament are very important for Gambhir, as a World Cup win will end all criticism and give him the relief to refocus on red-ball cricket in August. But an average campaign will likely reinvigorate critics.
Next 44 days tough for Gautam Gambhir, busy looking for head coach Sanjeevani, will decide future after T-20 World Cup
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