Chandigarh, April 14: Gautam Gambhir is looking to secure his position as India’s head coach until 2028, according to reports surfacing ahead of the national team’s next T20 assignments. Gambhir has expressed a desire to lead the squad through the Australia-hosted T20 World Cup and the sport’s debut in the Los Angeles Olympics, maintaining that Suryakumar Yadav remains his primary choice for the captaincy.
The endorsement comes at a time when Yadav’s batting form is under intense pressure. After a lackluster 2025 where his strike rate dipped, the right-hander showed flashes of his former self in early 2026 but failed to maintain that momentum during the latter stages of India’s successful World Cup run. In matches against top-tier opponents like England and New Zealand, the captain was unable to make a significant impact on the scoreboard.
“Obviously, he will lead in the UK, but after that, discussions going forward till 2028 could be purely performance-based,” a BCCI source affirmed to PTI. The statement suggests that while Gambhir is ready to back his captain, the board’s patience may be tied to immediate results in the upcoming series against Ireland and England.
Internal discussions have also touched upon the physical demands of the T20 format as Yadav approaches his late 30s. While he remains a tactical asset, his recent IPL performances for Mumbai—totaling just 106 runs in four matches—have added weight to the argument for a performance-linked review of his captaincy.
The selection committee is reportedly weighing the necessity of a younger leadership core for the four-year cycle leading to 2028. However, with Gambhir advocating for continuity, the head coach’s own contract extension may hinge on how the team and its captain navigate the high-stakes matches scheduled for the remainder of the year.
