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“Emotional coach is not a…”: AB De Villiers drops a blunt verdict on Gambhir

Poulomi Chakraborty

ABD shares his opinion on Gambhir's leadership (Source: @sujeetsuman1991/x.com, @BluntIndianGal/x.com)ABD shares his opinion on Gambhir's leadership (Source: @sujeetsuman1991/x.com, @BluntIndianGal/x.com)

In recent times, Team India’s performance in the longest format has raised eyebrows, especially after the recent whitewash against South Africa on home soil. After the Kolkata heartbreak, the crushing 408-run defeat in the second Test has left fans stunned and searching for answers.

Under mounting pressure after India’s recent slump, head coach Gautam Gambhir has become the center of intense criticism. Amidst this situation, former South African batter AB de Villiers shared his verdict on him.

De Villiers gives his unfiltered opinion on Gambhir

From ruling Test cricket to suddenly fighting for survival, Team India’s red-ball fall has hit a shocking new low. After a whitewash against New Zealand last year, the horrific memory repeated as South Africa crushed them with a disappointing 2-0 defeat. After that, Team India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir found himself in hot water.

After he took the charge, Team India’s Test form dropped significantly. From the whitewash against the Kiwis to the Border-Gavaskar Trophy defeat and the recent heartbreak on home soil, fans have now started raising questions about Gambhir’s future. Speaking on Ravichandran Ashwin’s YouTube channel, South African legend AB de Villiers shared his honest take on the Indian head coach.

“Speaking on behalf of the Indian side, it’s really difficult. I don’t know what GG is like when it comes to leadership. I’ve known him as an emotional player, and if that is the case in the change room, generally, an emotional coach is not a good thing to have. But it’s not to say he’s that kind of a coach and the kind of leader behind the scenes,” he said.


“There’s no right and wrong. Some players will feel comfortable with a former player. Some players will be comfortable with a coach that’s never played the game before, but he’s got a lot of years of experience of coaching the game,” he added.

AB de Villiers hails Shukri Conrad

Ever since Shukri Conrad took over, South Africa’s Test team has transformed from underdogs into unstoppable giants. They lifted the WTC trophy, crushed India with a ruthless home whitewash, and showcased a new era of dominance. Behind South Africa’s dominant display, Conrad remained the secret energy for the side. Reflecting on that, de Villiers heaped massive praise on the South African coach.

“Then there’s Shukri Conrad, who has got this long track record of domestic teams that he has coached. He has plenty of experience, and he’s a very calm character. He generally makes his decisions on statistics and also combines with gut feel. He doesn’t thumb suck some of the team selections and really works with the players to help them come through. But you can also only do that with a strong group of senior players, with Kagiso Rabada there, Temba Bavuma, Aiden Markram, to name a few,” he added.

Ending the two-match Test series on a high, the Proteas are now shifting focus to the upcoming three-match ODI series. With legends like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma returning to the 50-over arena, South Africa will be pushing hard for another successful outing.