Ahmedabad, March 9, 2026 : Head coach of India national cricket team Gautam Gambhir has reiterated that individual milestones will not be celebrated during his tenure, stressing that team success and trophies are the true measures of achievement in cricket.
Speaking after India clinched their third ICC Men’s T20 World Cup title with a 96-run victory over New Zealand national cricket team in the final in Ahmedabad, Gambhir said the focus should always remain on winning trophies rather than personal records.
“I think my simple philosophy with Surya has always been that milestones don’t matter. It’s the trophies that matter. For too long in Indian cricket, we’ve spoken about milestones,” said Gautam Gambhir, referring to India’s T20 captain Suryakumar Yadav.
He urged the cricketing fraternity and media to shift their focus.
“Stop celebrating milestones, celebrate trophies. The bigger purpose of a team sport is to win trophies, not score individual runs,” Gambhir said.
The former Indian opener, who was the top scorer in two ICC finals, recalled his contributions in the 2011 Cricket World Cup Final and the 2007 ICC World Twenty20 Final, which he believes were often overshadowed by other moments in those matches involving former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Highlighting the importance of team play, Gambhir praised Sanju Samson for his performances during the tournament, citing scores of 97 not out, 89 and 88 in the knockout stages as examples of playing for the team rather than personal milestones.
Social media criticism doesn’t matter
Responding to criticism and fan debates on social media, Gautam Gambhir said his accountability lies with the players in the dressing room rather than online commentary.
“My accountability is not towards any social media. It is towards the 30 people sitting in the dressing room,” he said.
Team selection based on trust
Gambhir also emphasised that team selection under his leadership is based on trust and faith rather than short-term expectations.
He cited players such as Abhishek Sharma, Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan as examples of cricketers who were backed despite difficult phases and later repaid the confidence with strong performances.
“You pick the team on trust and faith. When you trust someone, you don’t lose that trust after four or five games,” he said.
Gambhir concluded that trust and unity within the dressing room remain the foundation of India’s success, regardless of the outcome of any single tournament.
