India’s coaching setup could be in line for a major reshuffle, with one senior member of Gautam Gambhir’s support staff expected to part ways despite still having time left on his contract. The coach in question has already been in talks with an IPL franchise that operates across multiple leagues, while another staff member’s future also remains uncertain.
The developments are said to have been building for several months rather than being a reaction to India’s recent struggles in Ireland and England, where Shreyas Iyer’s men are winless after six matches and have lost back-to-back series.
Gambhir assembled his backroom team after taking charge of India in July 2024, bringing in Ryan ten Doeschate and Abhishek Nayar as assistant coaches before Morne Morkel (bowling coach) joined ahead of the Bangladesh Test series. All three signed two-year contracts with an option for a one-year extension.
At that time, the appointments of these men, who had all worked with Gambhir in the IPL, were said to be purely the head coach’s picks. Nayar was sacked after the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, and Sitanshu Kotak was appointed as the batting coach.
The possibility of changes has also intensified speculation over the BCCI’s decision to hand VVS Laxman charge of the upcoming Zimbabwe tour and the Asian Games campaign instead of Gambhir’s full-time coaching group. Sairaj Bahutale’s continued involvement with the national side has further fuelled suggestions that the board could already be planning for a revamped coaching structure.
Although the BCCI is expected to conduct a review after the ongoing white-ball tour of England, the discussions are likely to focus only on the team’s performances rather than staffing decisions.
Even so, uncertainty over the future of the support staff means India’s backroom setup could undergo significant changes before the Test series against Sri Lanka, with any departures expected to pave the way for a fresh-look coaching group.
