India’s former World Cup-winning coach and the premier all-rounder of India’s former World Cup-winning coach and the premier all-rounder of the team, Kapil David, reckoned that the current head coach of the team is about managing the players rather than coaching them, amidst the criticism around the working style of the country’s current head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who has received speculation on his Test series defeats. 

Kapil Dev suggested that the term coach is being misunderstood in contemporary cricket. Gambhir has been under the pump, having lost two of the last three home red-ball series against South Africa and New Zealand in successive years, which has been a new headache. 

See Also: Watch: Travis Head celebrates fourth successive century in Adelaide during 3rd Ashes 2025/26 Test

“Today, the word 'coach' is very common. Gautam Gambhir can't be a coach. He can be a manager of the team. When you say coach, it is where I learn in school and college. Those were the people; my coach was there. They can manage me.” Kapil Dev expressed at the Indian Chamber of Commerce ICC Centenary Session. 

Kapil Dev gives shocking statement on Gautam Gambhir

Kapil also argued that at the highest level, the players possess specialized skills, making the traditional idea of coaching impractical. The primary responsibility of a coach is to provide comfort to the players.

“How can you be a coach when they have given a name to let's say anybody a leg spinner? How can Gautam be a coach to a leg spinner or to the wicket-keeper? I think you have to manage. That's more important. As a manager, you encourage them to say you can do it because when you become a manager, the young boys look up to you.” Dev addressed the function.

“How can my manager or captain give me that comfort, and that's what the manager and captain's job is - to give comfort to the team and always say 'you can do better'. That's the way I look at it. I think you have to give comfort to the people who are not playing well. If somebody made a hundred, I don't want to have a drink and dinner with him.” The former captain informed.

On the eve of the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026 mini auction, Star Sports participated in a mock auction where various notable players selected their favorite franchise. The former middle-order batter, Mohammed Kaif, who was part of the coaching staff of Delhi Capitals in the past, decided to sign David Miller for the side.

Miller, the left-handed lower-order batter of the South Africa side, was bought by the Capitals for a price of INR 9.50 crore. Mohammed Kaif reckoned that his plan would be to slot Miller in the lower order, given the veteran could be effective with the big shots in the small ground of Arun Jaitley Stadium in Delhi.

See Also: “I kept trying to go..” - Jake Fraser-McGurk opens upon six-hitting pressure in IPL ahead of BBL 15

“I have decided to give Donovan Ferreira to the Rajasthan Royals. So, in terms of the players, we needed an opener, and that’s why we decided to sign Prithvi Shaw. And we were looking for a finisher for which we decided to go with David Miller on the small ground of Delhi. I think he will be really effective there.” Kaif expressed in the Star Sports mock auction.

Mohammad Kaif trolls Gautam Gambhir’s statement

After the completion of the mock-auction, Kaif was asked to comment on where Miller would bat in the line-up, to which the former player reckoned that the openers would remain fixed with a flexible batting order for the rest of the line-up. This was echoed by the same statement Gautam Gambhir, the Indian head coach, made in his press conference.

Watch the video here: 

No way Mohammed Kaif trolling Gautham Gambhir in mock auction in Star sports 🤣 pic.twitter.com/Iq9e0sp8UU

— @Rohitshrama45 (@NabinCheet46780) December 16, 2025

“Openers’ positions are fixed, but the others are flexible. We will just see the combination of a right and left-handed opening batter combo.” Said Kaif, who also signed Prithvi Shaw for a price of INR 2.75 crore. He also bagged the services of Lungi Ngidi for a price of INR 6.5 crore.

Apart from those, Cameron Green was the biggest buy of the mock auction for a price of INR 30.50 crore, while Liam Livington went to Lucknow Super Giants for a price of INR 19 crore. Matheesha Pathirana went to the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) for a price of INR 13 crore.

Team India's left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh had an embarrassing over during South Africa's innings in the second T20I in Mullanpur. He came on to bowl the 11th over and was hit for a six by Quinton de Kock on the very first ball.

The fast bowler then struggled to maintain control, bowling two wides in a row outside the off-stump. He managed a dot ball as de Kock missed a reverse lap, but the trouble continued. Arshdeep bowled five more wides in the same over, making it a total of seven wides and 18 runs conceded in 13 balls.

Team India's head coach Gautam Gambhir was visibly upset with the pacer's performance. Videos and pictures of Gambhir's reaction are now going viral on social media. 

Watch The Video here: 

No matter the situation, abusing a youngster is never justified. Shame on Gautam Gambhir for his actions towards Arshdeep Singh pic.twitter.com/05Ie1q4auy

— 𝐀𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐌𝐒𝐃𝐢𝐚𝐧™ (@AaravMsd_07) December 11, 2025

Also Read -Watch: Jitesh Sharma’s superb stumping dismisses Quinton de Kock during IND vs SA 2nd T20I

Arshdeep Singh’s Embarrassing Over Sets Record

Team India's left-arm pacer Arshdeep Singh equalled the record of Afghanistan's Naveen-ul-Haq for bowling the most balls in a single over in T20I cricket among full-member nations. Naveen had achieved the unwanted feat against Zimbabwe in Harare last year. This made Arshdeep the Indian bowler with the longest over in the format.

It was a rare bad day in the field for Arshdeep, as he let the momentum slip and even the crowd grew restless while waiting for the over to end. Suryakumar Yadav took him off the attack, bringing in Shivam Dube later. Quinton de Kock scored his half-century, helping South Africa reach a strong position.

India Opts to Bowl First

Earlier, India's skipper Suryakumar Yadav won the toss and chose to bowl first against South Africa in the second T20I of the five-match series. India lead the series 1-0 after a 101-run win over the Proteas in the first game.

During the toss, Suryakumar said, "We will bowl first. There is a bit of dew, so bowling first is a good option. This is a wonderful ground. It is the first men's game here, so we are excited. It is important for the boys to understand their responsibility. 175 on that wicket was over par. It was a lovely effort from our bowlers. The balance Hardik Pandya provides is amazing. The way he keeps calm and bowls his overs is very important for the team. We go with the same team."

The former Indian head coach, Ravi Shastri, requested the selectors and the management of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to leave Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s ODI future, besides warning them of the consequences of messing with the giants of the game. Rohit and Kohli had been facing the heat of performing heading into the three-match ODI series against South Africa at home.

Kohli is the second leading run-getter of the ODI format with 14557 runs in 296 innings at an average of 58.46, thanks to 53 centuries and 76 fifties at the best score of 183. Meanwhile, Rohit Shama has clubbed 11516 runs, scoring 33 centuries and 61 fifties, to find the ninth place in the same list.

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“These two are grandfathers. White-ball giants, toh aise players ke saath aap masti mat karo yaar (don’t needle them). Agar unka dimaag theek ho gaya na, and sahi button dabaaye na, sab aaju-baaju nikal jayenge (If their brains get fixed and they press the right button, everyone will run for cover.” Ravi Shastri expressed in an interaction on Prabhat Khabar.

Ravi Shastri cooks Gautam Gambhir on Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s future

Shastri was the architect of the golden era of the Indian cricket team, a phase between 2017 and 2021, when he was the head coach of the Blue Brigade as they were invincible in both the red-ball and white-ball formats of the game.

Watch the video here: 

Shastri cooked GG - AA combo! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/y2n2pGx1eS

— Amit T (@amittalwalkar) December 10, 2025

“You can’t buy experience from the market outside. One is a master chaser; the other one has three double centuries in ODI cricket.” Shastri added that Kohli and Rohit are irreplaceable as the veteran will be back in action during the upcoming three-match ODI series at home against New Zealand at the start of 2026.

Kohli finished the recent Protea series with 302 runs in three innings, thanks to two centuries and one unbeaten half-century. On the other hand, Rohit celebrated two fifties in his old aggressive rhythm as the hosts completed a 2-1 series victory.

Ahead of the opening T20I of the five-match series against South Africa at home, Indian players and their head coach, Gautam Gambhir, visited the Shri Jaganath Temple in Odisha’s Puri on Tuesday to seek blessings. The match is scheduled to take place on December 09 at the Barabati Cricket Stadium in Cuttack as the Blue Brigade looks to start their last-minute preparation for the T20 World Cup 2026.

Captain Suryakumar Yadav, accompanied by his wife Devisha Shetty and batter Tilak Varma, was among the players who took part in the visit to the temple. The squad entered the premises amidst the heavy security as the fans gathered in large numbers for the occasion.

See Also: England face huge blow as star player ruled out of Ashes 2025/26

India didn’t do well in the two-match Test series to start the trip of the South Africa side. They lost the opening clash by 30 runs at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata before facing another massive defeat by 408 runs in the second red-ball clash at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati. The Blue Brigade faced their second home whitewash in Tests in the last three attempts.

Watch: Indian players and coach take blessings from Shri Jaganath Temple

India have welcomed their two superstars, Shubman Gill and Hardik Pandya, back into the squad. The former was out of the Test and ODI series due to a neck injury, while Pandya returns to action for the first time since the group-stage clash against Sri Lanka in the Asia Cup 2025.

Watch the video here: 

VIDEO | Odisha: Team India members visit Jagannath Temple in Puri for darshan ahead of T20 match with South Africa in Cuttack today.#OdishaNews #INDvsSAT20

(Full video available on PTI Videos - https://t.co/n147TvrpG7) pic.twitter.com/P6GaHUS5py

— Press Trust of India (@PTI_News) December 9, 2025

“The preparation for the T20 World Cup started after the T20 World Cup of 2024 was over. Because in any big tournament, you cannot think that the tournament is here and the preparation has started. When we give exams in school, it is not like we try to study everything in the last four days. We study for a year or two.” Sky expressed in the pre-match press conference.

The eyes will also be on Suryakumar Yadav, who has struggled with the bat in recent times. The captaincy has been a factor for him as he will aim to be in his beast mode ahead of the next year’s home T20 World Cup.

The former spin all-rounder of the Indian cricket team, Ravichandran Ashwin, has delivered a pointed message to the Indian cricket fans, which has echoed the Indian head coach, Gautam Gambhir’s recent appeal for conversations on social media. He reckoned that personal attacks were never meant to be made in sports, especially the criticism Gambhir received after the Test series defeat against South Africa.

In a chat with Revsportz during an event, Ashwin was asked about the impatience people were showing in online discussions when a coach or player gets written off after a poor performance in their role. Gautam Gambhir experienced the same fate after their 0-2 red-ball series defeat at home.  

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“It's okay to criticize anybody, okay? The attempt from my side, and that of others, should always be to reason out the criticism. For example, there was a debate on whether Riyan Parag should be included in the ODI setup. It should never be about whether Riyan Parag is good or bad. It should be about what merits his selection and what doesn't work in his favour.” Ashwin expressed to Revsportz.

Ravichandran Ashwin blasts Gautam Gambhir’s toxic fan base after India’s 2-1 ODI series win

Ashwin reckoned that while questioning performances is normal, the discussion must be about logic regarding the selection or the field position. He stressed the cricket debates of players’ strengths rather than labeling someone good or bad.

“But we often get into this pelting of stones at characters, and what I'm really concerned about is character assassination. Sport should never get down to that. And I repeat: a fan of an individual doesn't have to be a hater of another. Ultimately, let's recognize that a fan of a particular player is a responsible cricket viewer.” Ashwin shed light.

“At some stage, if we make a fan view the game like a movie where you have to hate the other person, then we are not doing something right. How does it make sense for you to be a fan of a certain player and then hate Prasidh Krishna or Harshit Rana for criticism?” The former Indian spin all-rounder concluded.

Heading into the third ODI of the three-match series with a 1-1 margin, the pressure was on India, who had already faced a Test series defeat. But they completed a comfortable 271-run chase at Visakhapatnam thanks to the unbeaten maiden ODI century from Yashasvi Jaiswal and the half-centuries from the veterans, Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, to complete the nine-wicket victory.

India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir, without taking the name of Parth Jindal, the Delhi Capitals’ owner of the IPL, criticized the latter for his demands of a separate coach for India’s red-ball cricket following their 0-2 whitewash against the Proteas. Gambhir ordered him to ‘stay in their domain.’

See Also: Watch: Rohit Sharma gives hilarious reaction to Kuldeep Yadav’s DRS request during IND vs SA 3rd ODI

“God knows what all things were said. An IPL team owner also wrote about split coaching. So this is surprising. People need to stay in their domain. Because if we don't go into someone's domain, then they also don't have the right to come into our domain.” Gambhir attacked the DC owner in the post-match press conference.

Watch: Gautam Gambhir attacks DC owner Parth Jindal after 2-1 ODI series victory vs South Africa

Gambhir also reminded the media that they lost the opening Test in Kolkata by just 30 runs, and that too when they were without their captain, Shubman Gill, who didn’t get the chance to get in both innings due to the neck injury he picked up on his fourth delivery on the second day of the affair.

Watch the video here:

My blood is boiling. Parth Jindal ka apna opinion nahi ho skta ?
Tum btaaoge kya bolna hai kya nahi ?
Domain kon decide karega ?

Yeh owners wohi hai jo tujhe 2.5 crore mein khareedte hain IPL mein. Aur tu bikta bhi hai. Gambhir is a loser .
pic.twitter.com/fFZMQ5Swq1

— Prashant Shokeen (@PrashantShokee7) December 6, 2025

After India succumbed to a Test defeat at the Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati by a massive margin of over 400 runs, Jindal vouched for a split coaching policy in Indian cricket to get better results in red-ball cricket.

“Don’t remember seeing our test side being so weak at home!!! This is what happens when red ball specialists are not picked. This team is nowhere near reflective of the deep strength we possess in the red ball format. Time for India to move to a specialist red-ball coach for Test cricket.” Jindal argued on his account on X (formerly known as Twitter).

Parth Jindal done that twice so clearly mc was trying to run an agenda so deserve the thrashing. pic.twitter.com/1a01KhsU8F

— कट्टर INDIA समर्थक 🦁🇮🇳 ™ (@KKRWeRule) December 6, 2025

Jindal made such a comment even on November 26 when India faced the defeat in Kolkata, failing to chase down a low score of 121 runs in the fourth innings and were bamboozled by Simon Harmer’s eight wickets in the game.  

Fans who are used to watching matches on television or mobile screens can miss multiple back-of-the-camera moments. For example, the atmosphere at the ACA-VDCA Cricket Stadium in Visakhapatnam during the toss of India vs. South Africa 3rd ODI (IND vs SA 3rd ODI). Viewers might have heard the noise from the crowd as KL Rahul won the toss for India after a long time. But did you see head coach Gautam Gambhir's reaction?

Might have not because he was behind the cameramen. But, because of the social media platforms, these small moments related to a match are now visible to all. The Indian team ended its streak of losing the toss in 20 consecutive ODIs, finally winning the toss in the third ODI. It was a long-awaited moment for the team and for the Indian cricket fans. Host and former India cricketer Dinesh Kartik was also delighted as India won the toss. Stand-in captain KL Rahul celebrated the moment with a joyful gesture and smile on his face.

What were the other Indian players and staff doing when they saw Rahul won the toss? According to the viral video, Gambhir was seen smiling softly after India won the toss. This reaction from Gautam Gambhir is going viral on social media. Tilak Varma was there behind the camera and coach Gambhir. Fans, on the other hand, were seen cheering after Rahul won the toss.

Read More: List of batters who scored double hundred in 4th innings of Test match ft. Justin Greaves

Watch Gautam Gambhir's reaction when KL Rahul won the toss in India vs South Africa 3rd ODI match 

The moment, After finally losing 20 consecutive tosses in ODIs, Team India won their first toss today.😁🇮🇳❤️

The reactions of Gautam Gambhir, Tilak Varma and other members after winning toss.😂❤️ pic.twitter.com/Rn0Z7g2J1W

— 𝐑𝐮𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐢𝐢⁴⁵ (@rushiii_12) December 6, 2025

To break the toss losing streak, Rahul used a trick. He tossed the coin with his left hand instead of his right. Bavuma called heads, and the coin landed tails in KL Rahul's favor. India won the toss and eventually won the match as well. With the win, India claimed the 3-match ODI series by a 2-1 scoreline. 

Playing XIs:

India—Rohit Sharma, Yashasvi Jaiswal, Virat Kohli, Ruturaj Gaikwad, Tilak Varma, KL Rahul (c/wk), Ravindra Jadeja, Harshit Rana, Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, Prasidh Krishna.

South Africa—Ryan Rickelton, Quinton de Kock (wk), Temba Bavuma (c), Matthew Breetzke, Aiden Markram, Dewald Brewis, Marco Jansen, Corbin Bosch, Keshav Maharaj, Lungi Ngidi, Ottneil Bartman. 

The former star of the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB), Mohammad Kaif, has questioned the role of India’s off-spinner, Washington Sundar, after the latter was not given a full role with both bat and ball in any of the first two ODIs in Ranchi and Raipur. As the management favors the all-rounder, Sundar has had chances regularly.

Kaif, who was part of India’s 2002 winning squad of the Asia Cup, slammed the inclusion of the Tamil Nadu spinner, stating that he is not even half of the former spinner, Ravichandran Ashwin, when it comes to spin skills.

See Also: Shai Hope’s 140 and Justin Greaves' 202* save West Indies in 1st NZ vs WI Test in Christchurch

“The management can answer what Washington's role is. He is not even half of Ashwin if we talk about skills as a spinner. Even in Tests and ODIs, under different captains, not one but all of them have not given him full overs. When the game is tight, they go to Jadeja and Kuldeep. There is no trust that he can pick wickets at any stage, like how it is with Kuldeep. He will have to work a lot on his bowling.” Kaif expressed on his YouTube channel.

Mohammad Kaif blames Indian management for Washington Sundar’s role in IND vs SA ODI series

India won the opening game in Ranchi by a narrow margin of 17 runs as the Proteas kept losing wickets regularly. But in the second encounter, the visitors displayed a clinical batting performance to level the series at 1-1.

“First of all, his wicket-taking ability is less, and now you want Sundar to bat and are just putting more pressure on him. It is like he is neither a bowler nor a batter. Make him do one thing and give him a clear role. He can play the role of Axar in batting in the middle. That is fine. But his main role is bowling.” Kaif addressed.

“Batting is a bonus. But if his bowling gets bad, which is evident as they are not giving overs, he will go further behind in bowling. He will have to work on his skills and variations as a bowler. If he wants to play longer for India, he has to improve his bowling.” The former RCB batter addressed.

In the recent clash of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy 2025, featuring for the Vidarbha side, Yash Thakur finished with a fine spell of 5/16 in his 3.2 overs against Kerala at the Bharat Ratna Shri Atal Vihari Vajpayee Ekhana Stadium in Lucknow. He has already picked up nine wickets in this season for the domestic side.

Yash Thakur experienced a two-year stint with the IPL franchise, Lucknow Super Giants, which has sharpened the 26-year-old, both in terms of strategy and mindset. He dismissed the three batters of the five wickets with short-pitched deliveries in the 18th over to restrict Kerala to 164.

See Also: Major update on ownership of Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bengaluru ahead of IPL 2026

“I was with Lucknow Super Giants for two years, so I knew the nature of the pitch here. That definitely helped me today. Before coming here, I had discussed with the coaches [at NCA] about which variations would come in handy in Lucknow. They spoke about using slower bouncers, which I used today.” Yash Thakur expressed.

Yash Thakur credits Gautam Gambhir for success in SMAT 2025/26 for Vidarbha

The current India head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who served as a mentor for the LSG in 2023, was credited by the right-arm pacer for playing at different levels. His dream of donning the national jersey has kept him motivated with his belief in the grind of domestic cricket.

“When I was in LSG, Gautam sir was the mentor. He had told me to believe in myself. ‘You have come to the IPL after performing well in domestic cricket. There is not much difference between domestic cricket and the IPL. It doesn’t matter whether a domestic batter or an international batter is batting.” Thakur addressed the interaction.

“When I started playing cricket, I had only one dream—playing for India and winning the World Cup. That motivates me every day. I need to perform wherever I get chances instead of thinking about why I am not getting to play. Domestic cricket is a good platform for developing skills. Our T20 domestic cricket has become a bit like the IPL. Scores of 200 and 250 have become common.” The LSG pacer informed.