Kapil Dev Advocates for Gambhir’s Role as Mentor, Not Coach, to Players

India’s inaugural World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev, expressed on Thursday that the modern-day head coach’s role has evolved into “managing” players rather than actually coaching them. His remarks come amid criticism of Gautam Gambhir’s coaching style.

After India suffered a 0-2 Test series loss to South Africa, Gambhir, the head coach, faced criticism for his strategy of frequent player rotation and reliance on part-timers.

Kapil clarified that the term ‘coach’ is often misinterpreted in the context of contemporary cricket.

“Today, the word ‘coach’ is ubiquitous. Gautam Gambhir isn’t a coach; rather, he is a team manager,” Kapil stated during the Indian Chamber of Commerce’s centenary session.

He elaborated, “The word ‘coach’ I associate with learning in school and college — those were my coaches.”

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Kapil further questioned, “How can Gautam coach a leg-spinner or a wicketkeeper?” He emphasized the importance of management, saying, “As a manager, you need to encourage and assure them, ‘You can do it,’ because young players look up to you.”

He continued, “A manager or captain’s role is to provide comfort to the team and always convey, ‘You can do better.’ My captaincy philosophy was to support players in lean phases.”

Kapil concluded, “Support those not performing well. If someone scores a hundred, I won’t necessarily celebrate with them. I preferred spending time with those struggling, to boost their morale. Your role as captain isn’t just about personal performance but also about uniting the team.”

Published on December 18, 2025.