Ajit Agarkar, as chairman of selectors, and Gautam Gambhir, as head coach, have been heavily criticized for their roles in the recent poor performance of the Indian Test cricket team. Under their watch, India suffered the heaviest home defeat in history by runs, losing to South Africa by 408 runs.
Criticized by fans
Ajit Agarkar and Gautam Gambhir have been criticized by some fans and commentators for their roles in Indian cricket, particularly related to team selections and performance issues in certain formats like T20 and Test cricket. There are claims that favoritism and non-merit-based selections under their influence have hurt the Indian cricket team, especially in recent years, leading to a perceived decline in the team’s strength and consistency.
Gautam Gambhir, who has been involved in coaching and selection roles post-retirement, has faced criticism for the Indian T20 and Test team performances, with some blaming his coaching and selection decisions for failures like home Test losses and missed opportunities with players.
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The controversy mainly revolves around their alleged impact on team composition and selection strategy rather than their playing careers. Overall, Agarkar was regarded as a valuable player, while criticisms tied to both focus more on administrative and coaching phases impacting Indian cricket’s recent performances than on destroying the team in a literal sense.
Performance after they both came in
Under Gambhir, India suffered historic home Test defeats, including a 0-3 whitewash by New Zealand and a 0-2 loss to South Africa, the worst in 93 years. Frequent experimentation, especially at No. 3, and erratic selections have weakened the team. Proven performers like Mohammed Shami and Sarfaraz Khan have been ignored in favor of inconsistent players, prompting criticism of favoritism and lack of meritocracy. With a Test win rate under 40% and multiple home series losses, Gambhir’s tenure and Agarkar’s IPL-biased selections are widely seen as a leadership failure, sparking calls for their removal to restore credibility.
This assessment is based on their playing history and recent criticisms regarding cricket administration and coaching roles they have held.