Harsha Bhogle has offered some important advice to India head coach Gautam Gambhir about his role and approach to managing the team. The commentary legend wants Gambhir to see himself as a consultant rather than the person running everything, with the captain remaining the key decision-maker.

Bhogle’s advice: “Don’t see yourself as the CEO”

Speaking on Cricbuzz, Harsha Bhogle said he hopes Gautam Gambhir does not view himself as the CEO of Team India. Instead, Gambhir should see himself as a consultant, with the captain being the real CEO who runs the team. “I hope he does not see himself as ‘I am running this team,’” Bhogle said, stressing that the coach’s job is to support the captain, not take over leadership from him.

Former South Africa captain Shaun Pollock, who was part of the conversation, agreed with Bhogle. Pollock said that while coaches can help captains with ideas and build their confidence, the captain must make the final calls when out on the field. The leadership structure should be clear: the coach advises, but the captain leads.

Is the line blurring in modern cricket?

Bhogle asked whether this traditional division of roles is getting blurred in modern cricket, especially in T20 formats. Pollock admitted that it is happening more in franchise cricket, where players come from different parts of the world and sometimes join teams just two days before a match. In those situations, coaches often take on more leadership responsibility because captains don’t have enough time to settle the group.

However, Pollock stressed that in national teams, where players have more time together, the captain must guard his authority. On questions like who changes the batting order when the captain is still in the dugout, Pollock was clear: “If the captain is involved, it should come from him.”

Gambhir’s floating batting order debate

Recently, Gautam Gambhir defended his philosophy of using a floating batting order in ODI cricket, where positions are not fixed, especially in the middle order. This approach has drawn both support and criticism from experts and former players.

AB de Villiers, one of the greatest batters in cricket history, shared his thoughts on Gambhir’s strategy on his YouTube channel. He said he agrees with the floating batting order idea to some extent and has always enjoyed flexibility in ODIs. However, he warned Gambhir about crossing a “fine line.” De Villiers explained that while you can be creative with right- and left-hand combinations and adjust based on match situations, you cannot play around too much with players’ core roles.

“It’s the top three, four to six, and then your tailenders who can hold the bat. It’s almost like three segments, and you can really be creative with that,” De Villiers said, suggesting that flexibility should exist within clear batting zones rather than constant shuffling.

Gambhir’s mixed results as coach

Gautam Gambhir took over as India’s head coach in July 2024, and his tenure so far has had mixed results. On the positive side, India won the 2025 Champions Trophy and the 2025 Asia Cup under his coaching. These were big achievements and showed that the team can perform well in white-ball tournaments under his guidance.

However, the Test results have been very poor. India were whitewashed 2-0 at home by New Zealand and then again 2-0 by South Africa, marking the first time India lost back-to-back home Test series. These defeats have raised serious questions about Gambhir’s approach, team selection, and the overall direction of the Test side.

Gambhir is known for being aggressive and wanting control over team matters. Bhogle’s advice seems aimed at reminding him that in international cricket, the coach should empower the captain, not overshadow him. The success of any team depends on a strong partnership between coach and captain, with clear roles and mutual respect.