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Ravichandran Ashwin frames IPL as key to Gautam Gambhir's coaching arc: ‘Has already left a bit of stamp’
Gautam Gambhir faces criticism after India's Test losses, yet his coaching excels in white-ball cricket, highlighted by Champions Trophy and Asia Cup victories.
If you only looked at Gautam Gambhir’s Test numbers right now, you’d think his tenure is in full-blown crisis. A 408-run hammering against South Africa in Guwahati, a 2-0 home whitewash, and growing noise about whether India needs a separate red-ball coach have all sharpened the knives.
But in white-ball cricket, the story is a bit different. This is the same coach who has already delivered the 2025 Champions Trophy and the Asia Cup, while actively hard-wiring a far more aggressive limited-overs identity into India’s game. And that is exactly the side of “GG” that Ravichandran Ashwin chose to amplify in a recent YouTube chat with AB de Villiers, turning a question about Gambhir into a broader endorsement of India’s new T20 template.
GG’s impressive stint in white-ball cricket
Ashwin didn’t talk like someone unsure of the direction, “I think GG, the white-ball coach, has already left a bit of a stamp.” That one line carries weight in the current context. Gambhir’s India have not just picked aggressive cricketers; they’ve re-ordered the hierarchy of who defines the T20 side. The coach who once captained in the ultra-intense KKR dressing room is now, in Ashwin’s view, reshaping India’s white-ball mindset from the top down.
Ashwin was quick to widen the frame beyond Gambhir and into the ecosystem that made the shift possible, “But that is a lot of credit to the IPL in many ways. It’s thrown up some really stunning, stunning white-ball cricketers for India.” That is not a throwaway line either. Gambhir’s own coaching career is deeply IPL-coded - Lucknow, then KKR, and now a national side stacked with franchise-seasoned hitters. The IPL has become both his talent pool and his proof of concept.
And for Ashwin, one name captures that bridge between league cricket and India colours better than most, “And namely, Abhishek Sharma. That’s one cricketer I would love to watch out for again in the T20 format. His exploits around the format will also dictate where India go in the T20 World Cup.”
Also Read: BCCI not happy with Gautam Gambhir's comments in press conference; a flop T20 World Cup could spell doom for head coach
Ashwin endorses the fearless brand of cricket
Then Ashwin shifts his focus from personnel to philosophy, “A bit of fearless approach. Once upon a time, I played for India in the T20 format and always wanted the batters to play in this fashion. It doesn’t always happen when you’re playing. It has to happen when you’re retired. So, I’m glad it’s happened. A fearless brand of cricket which we always wanted to happen,” Ashwin said.
After this, Ashwin moved on to the most important balancing act in modern T20 cricket, speaking about chaos backed by control. “With Surya at the helm, that is a T20 side that would be feared on its day. Sure, that team will have its Achilles heel. But they look to have all bases covered with Bumrah’s defensive bowling.”
So, in the middle of India’s loudest red-ball inquest in years, Ashwin has essentially drawn a line down Gambhir’s resume. One column is under siege after Guwahati. The other already has a Champions Trophy, Asia Cup, a world-class T20 captain, a generational death bowler and a new-age left-handed enforcer at the top. And that is where Ashwin reminds everyone that GG has already left a bit of a stamp.
