Gambhir Faces Favouritism Charge After India’s T20I Whitewash

India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir is under fresh pressure after a difficult tour of the UK, with former India batter Hanuma Vihari publicly accusing him of showing favouritism in team selection. The criticism comes on the back of a winless T20I campaign for the side, led by Shreyas Iyer, which saw India fail to register a single victory across six matches, with one game washed out by rain.

Vihari Questions Selection Calls

Vihari, who has struggled to find a place in the national setup in recent years, claimed that Gambhir tends to favour certain players regardless of their current form. He specifically pointed to the continued selection of Shivam Dube and Washington Sundar, arguing that neither has done enough with bat or ball to justify a consistent spot in the playing XI, and questioned why Sundar in particular kept getting picked despite underwhelming returns.

Bowling Struggles Compound India’s Woes

Beyond the selection debate, India’s bowling attack also came under scrutiny during the series. Spinner Axar Patel failed to make a notable impact across the matches, while the squad was further hampered by injuries to key bowlers Varun Chakaravarthy and Harshit Rana, thinning out India’s options and adding to the team’s struggles in unfamiliar conditions.

With India also having lost their series in Ireland beforehand, the pressure on Gambhir’s coaching methods and squad selections is mounting. According to reports, the BCCI is expected to conduct a detailed review of the recent losses once the upcoming ODI series against England concludes. Meanwhile, Gambhir has defended his decisions by pointing to the broader transition phase the Indian team is currently navigating, suggesting that building a squad for the future requires patience rather than knee-jerk changes based on short-term results.