Gautam Gambhir Admits He Is Mentally Drained: "Yes, Have To Be Honest"

Gautam Gambhir has been through his fair share of highs and lows during his time as India head coach. While there have been the joys of winning the Champions Trophy in 2025 and the T20 World Cup in 2026, there have also been devastating losses, particularly in Test cricket. Sunday concluded another roller-coaster T20I series between India and New Zealand. Gambhir admitted that managing different formats, conditions and player personalities over the past four to five months had left him mentally drained at times.

However, he also said he is capable of handling the pressure.

"Yes, I have, to be honest. But I am strong enough to manage that. I'm strong enough to take it for as long as I can. That is how I am built: I can take the pressure, I can take the bullet. And yes, I'm a human being, so at times I will feel drained. But so far, I've been able to handle it," Gambhir said.

On the challenge of communicating selection decisions to talented players who miss out on the playing XI, Gambhir said making the right decision was more important than making a popular one.

"That's my job. I've said it before: my job is to make the right decision, not the popular decision. It's very easy to sit in the dressing room and make popular decisions that people want me to make. But my job is to make the dressing room secure, to give backing and clarity to people who have done well over a long period," he said.

Acknowledging that such conversations could be difficult, Gambhir emphasised the importance of honesty and transparency in his role as head coach.

"Those conversations as a coach are always tough. All international teams have talent. For me, honesty, being upfront, and being completely transparent are crucial. That is the job of a head coach. As long as I do that, I can look anyone in the eye and answer any question," he added.

With ANI inputs

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