Gautam Gambhir, a former Indian Cricketer and current India’s head coach, has always been under scrutiny with fixed fans’ reaction on his coaching tenure. Although he has had backlashes in the ODI and test formats, he is a different beast in T20I. He has 90% win rate in T20Is, and winning back-to-back international trophies made him India’s most decorated T20 coach. He has transformed India’s playing style to an aggressive and fearless approach, and he sees team performance more than any individual performance. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma's retirement from T20 also made him face a lot of online backlash.
Munaf Patel, in a recent interview, said that Gambhir is a selfless coach, and if Gambhir is not a coach, then it will be tough to handle players.
He also said that because of the team, he is getting so much hate from different fanbases, but he doesn’t care.
“Just remember if Gambhir is removed as head coach, then who will handle the players well? He calls out what the actual truth is, and many people don’t like that”
🏏 "Gautam Gambhir jaisa head coach hat gaya na, toh player ko handle karna mushkil ho jayega" - @munafpa99881129 tells @KShriniwasRao in the latest episode of the Bombay Sport Exchange 🔥 📹 Full Episode lands tomorrow! pic.twitter.com/rT0onx3TOO
— TOI Sports (@toisports) April 14, 2026
He further added, “ If Gambhir, after three years, things will get more scattered. Because he has control, everything is under control. He doesn’t go for money or is not greedy. Also, everyone knows he has guts; he can drop players if he wants. A coach can’t be a friend. If he is, then you are spoiling the system. There should be fear. How many enemies is he making while doing the job? 8 out of 10 people on the commentary panel are against him, but he is still doing the job.”
Munaf Patel on Bumrah vs Virat Popularity
Munaf Patel, when asked about Bumrah and Virat's popularity, said no doubt Bumrah is a star, but Virat Kohli has a different level of mass appeal. He is a legend and a King.
When he was questioned about India’s current pace attack and future, he said, “ If you want I can bring many 120+ pacers. But 140+ is rare; you will, of course, come to notice when you play at that pace. If you bowl at 120+, no matter how much swing you bring, you won’t even get selected in IPL, but 140+ will give you an India debut.”
Munaf expressed grief that India still lacks a good system to develop the skills of fast bowlers. There are plenty in the sea, but the management fails to develop them better.
