Probably the whole cricketing world is aware of the fact that India’s coach Gautam Gambhir is going through hard times after a 2-0 Test series loss against South Africa.

The first coach in India’s cricket history to concede two home-series losses has been facing aplenty of flak from fans as well as the former India internationals.

However, former India head coach Ravi Shastri has shared some advice to Gambhir on how to handle the situation. Shastri has acknowledged that Gambhir could be fired, but asked him to deal with the matter calmly and patience.

“If your performance is poor, you could be fired. Therefore, you need to maintain patience. Communication and man-management skills are crucial here,” said Shastri, in an interview with Prabhat Khabar, as quoted by Hindustan Times.

“Only then can you motivate the players to win. And that’s what we did. The most important thing is to enjoy whatever you do. Don’t take it as pressure,” he added.

During his tenure of a year and a half as India’s head coach, Gambhir has experienced some big highs and some devastating lows. During the period, Team India have won the ICC Champions Trophy 2025 and the Asia Cup 2025 titles, clinching both trophies without losing a single game.

However, India’s form in red-ball cricket has declined considerably. Under Gambhir, India have been whitewashed at home by New Zealand and South Africa, and have also lost to Australia Down Under.

In the meantime, Gambhir’s relationship with star players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has also received scrutiny, with multiple reports stating that the head coach’s dynamic with the two stalwarts has soured over time.

Gambhir’s next major assignment as India’s head coach comes in the form of the T20 World Cup 2026 on home soil, for which the hosts will be firm favourites.