Gautam Gambhir faces fresh criticism: Ex-Indian cricketer calls him a 'bully'
Former India cricketer Atul Wassan has accused new head coach Gautam Gambhir of being a "bully" with an "my way or the highway" approach, stemming from his Delhi cricket days. While Gambhir has achieved white-ball success, India's Test form has declined, raising questions about his confrontational coaching style's suitability.
Despite enjoying major success as both an international cricketer and head coach, Gautam Gambhir has come under sharp criticism from former India cricketer Atul Wassan, who accused him of being a “bully” within team environments. Gambhir took over as head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team on July 10, 2024, replacing Rahul Dravid. His tenure so far has delivered contrasting results.
Under his leadership, India achieved historic dominance in white-ball cricket by becoming the first team to simultaneously hold the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026, ICC Champions Trophy 2025, and Asia Cup 2025 titles. However, India’s Test performances have declined sharply during the same period. The team suffered rare home series whitewashes against the New Zealand national cricket team and the South Africa national cricket team, while also losing the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to the Australia national cricket team for the first time in a decade.
Despite the setbacks in red-ball cricket, the Board of Control for Cricket in India is reportedly backing Gambhir long-term, with discussions of extending his contract beyond the 2027 ODI World Cup and potentially through the 2028 T20 World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics. Speaking in an interview with Vickey Lalwani, Wassan launched a scathing assessment of Gambhir’s personality and management style, claiming his aggressive approach dates back to his early cricketing days in Delhi. "I have known him personally since he was a child.
I have had my issues with him. With him, it's about my way or the highway. He is like that, and he would bully a lot, even in Delhi cricket," Wassan said.