BCCI To Sack Gautam Gambhir? Rajeev Shukla Gives Big Update On India's Head Coach Future

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) is not planning to part ways with Gautam Gambhir despite India’s poor show in the five-day format of the game since his appointment for the top job. The former left-handed batter from Delhi took charge of the Indian team in July 2024 after Rahul Dravid’s tenure came to an end, but since then Gambhir has only managed to win seven out of 19 Tests played so far as India’s head coach.

Under his guidance, India won one Test in Australia last year and two in England this year but also suffered humiliating 0-3 and 0-2 defeats against New Zealand and South Africa, respectively, in front of home fans.

Gambhir has lost five home Tests so far, which is the most for any India head coach, and he is also the only

Indian head coach to get whitewashed twice in a home Test series.

Since India suffered humiliating defeats in both the Tests against South Africa last month in front of home fans, there are calls for Gambhir’s removal as head coach of Team India, at least from the five-day format of the game. But the BCCI is not looking to part ways with Gambhir.

A day after BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia dismissed the reports of the board planning to line up VVS Laxman as Gambhir’s replacement in Tests, BCCI vice-president Rajeev Shukla has also denied reports of Gambhir’s exit.

According to Shukla, there is no plan to remove Gambhir or bring in a new head coach for India.

“I want to make it very clear regarding the speculation circulating in the media about head coach Gautam Gambhir. The BCCI secretary (Devajit Saikia) has also made it very clear that there is no plan to remove or bring in a new head coach for India,” Shukla told ANI.

#WATCH | Delhi: Dismissing reports that the BCCI board is considering replacing or appointing a new head coach in the Test format in place of Gautam Gambhir, BCCI Vice-President Rajeev Shukla says, “I want to make it very clear regarding the speculation circulating in the media… pic.twitter.com/PKNQYpilP5

— ANI (@ANI) December 29, 2025

Gambhir’s current contract as head coach of Team India runs till November 2027, and it looks like he will remain in charge of the team till then.

India will next play a Test series in August 2026 against Sri Lanka in Sri Lanka and then travel to New Zealand for a two-match Test series. India’s sixth and final series of the ongoing World Test Championship (WTC) cycle will be played against Australia in the first quarter of 2027. The 2027 edition of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy will feature five Test matches, and for India to qualify for the WTC 2027 final, they have to make sure that they win at least 7 out of the remaining nine matches.