Sreesanth also highlighted India's poor Test performance under Gambhir's coaching.
Former pacer Sreesanth has launched a scathing attack on India head coach Gautam Gambhir, claiming the national setup does not need a traditional coach but rather a mentor in the mould of MS Dhoni.
Speaking on The Lallantop, Sreesanth accused Gambhir of placing excessive pressure on players, speaking behind their backs, and seeking the spotlight on television.
During the show, Sreesanth was asked to share his insight on India’s recent Test struggles at home against New Zealand and South Africa. Interrupting the question, he highlighted that Gambhir was at the helm of affairs in both series losses.
Gautam Gambhir took over as India head coach in July 2024. Since then, he has guided India to two ICC titles - Champions Trophy 2025 and T20 World Cup 2026 - the most by any coach in history of Indian cricket. The team also clinched the Asia Cup under his guidance last year.
However, the white-ball success has not translated to the traditional format. With Gambhir at the helm, India have won eight, lost 10 and drew two of their 20 Tests so far, which includes a couple of clean sweeps against New Zealand (0-3) and South Africa (0-2) at home.
Blaming Gambhir for India's Test debacles, Sreesanth said: "Change the coach, friend. India needs a mentor, not a coach."
Sreesanth also expressed his reservations over Gambhir’s coaching style, citing that latter puts "excessive pressure on the players" and then gave the example of Dhoni. According to him, an international team doesn't require a coach who pressurises players to do something and axe them when they fail, something which "Dhoni didn't do."
Sreesanth further stated that while opinions may differ, India's triumph was driven by Dhoni's mentality and the self-belief he instilled among his teammates, adding that "Team India needs a mentor like Dhoni."
He elaborated: "You have to be a brother first. You can't just laugh when you win and get angry when you lose. You've done well for the country, that's great. That doesn't mean others aren't trying. Have a mentor over a coach."
Sreesanth strongly opposed giving credit to Gambhir for the T20 World Cup 2026 success, emphasizing that the players on the field deserve the praise.
"When the team won the World Cup, all the credit went to Gambhir. But if Sanju Samson hadn't been there, Suryakumar Yadav hadn't captained, and the bowling changes hadn't been made at the right time, would we have won the match?" Sreesanth said.
"Was the coach making decisions on the field? It's fine if we have a coach like Ashish Nehra, who remains involved," he added.