ENG vs IND: 'Gautam Gambhir needs to take a chill pill, relax a bit’- Sanjay Manjrekar on India coach’s fiery press conferences

Gautam Gambhir’s comments backing Shubman Gill’s talents irked Sanjay Manjrekar.

Former Indian cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar believes Gautam Gambhir should invite challenging questions and moderate his press conferences. Following India‘s valiant draw with England in the fourth test match at Old Trafford in Manchester, Gambhir was once again seen at his most direct.

After KL Rahul (90) and Shubman Gill (103) got dismissed in the morning session of day five, India batted out the entire day, with Washington Sundar (101*) and Ravindra Jadeja (107*) taking their side to its knees with their undefeated 203-run partnership.

After India’s outstanding victory, Gautam Gambhir wasted no time in attacking the detractors who had questioned his strategies, claiming that anyone who had doubts about Shubman Gill was ignorant of cricket.

Relax a bit in press conferences- Sanjay Manjrekar tells Gautam Gambhir

Sanjay Manjrekar took exception to the remarks, stating that there were legitimate concerns about Shubman Gill’s leadership and advising Gautam Gambhir to soften his tone and accept challenging inquiries.

“Yeah, you can tell there are certain questions that get under his skin—especially when people question Gill as a young captain and batter. And honestly, those are valid doubts. Even people who deeply understand cricket wonder whether this was the right time to hand him that opportunity.

“ I just hope we can all understand this better. It’s not about ‘you guys think’ and ‘we think’—we’re all part of the same industry and the same country. I’d just like to see him take a chill pill, relax a bit, and be open to tough questions. Whether that will happen, I’m not sure,” said Manjrekar on JioHotstar.

Gautam Gambhir’s tenure as India’s head coach has been poor in test cricket. India lost a home series to New Zealand, lost to Australia in Australia, and are now 2-1 down against England.

India has done well despite some of his tactical decisions: Sanjay Manjrekar on Gautam Gambhir

However, Manjrekar stated that India has done well in the series despite Gambhir’s blunders in choosing playing combinations and other things. But he still needs to stay in a calmer mood.

“I feel India has done well despite some of his tactical decisions. Let’s not forget: India lost 3-0 at home, and New Zealand lost comfortably to Australia. The fight we’ve seen in this team? That’s down to the players. Because tactically, Gambhir hasn’t always made things easier—especially with some of his selections. And to suggest that Karun Nair ‘wasn’t dropped’… come on. You guys see it as a drop; for them, it’s about ‘picking the right team,’” he added.

Not picking Kuldeep Yadav to keep the batting depth has been the biggest criticism of Gautam Gambhir. India has been found on the short end because of a lack of bowling depth and even injuries. This has put a lot of burden on Jasprit Bumrah, the lone strike bowler for India.

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