Gautam Gambhir is the Head Coach of the Indian cricket team. Under his leadership, the team has won two major ICC tournaments — the 2025 ICC Champions Trophy and the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup. He is the first Indian head coach to win two ICC trophies. Gambhir is also the most successful Indian cricketers in terms of trophies, both as a player and as a coach.

In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, he speaks about the T20 World Cup win, social media toxicity, honesty with players, ending the superstar culture in the team and what’s next for him.

00:00 - Introduction

00:50 - T20 World Cup Victory

01:52 - How to Handle Critics

04:18 - Handling Social Media Toxicity

06:35 - Being a Coach

08:23 - Playing in Front of Legends

09:30 - Dhoni’s Post for Gambhir & Team

10:50 - Fans’ Expectations

12:56 - India Tailoring Pitches Allegation

14:07 - India’s Power in World Cricket

15:19 - Money Power in Cricket

16:33 - Hanuman Mandir Visit Controversy

18:59 - Backing Sanju Samson

19:52 - Beyond Individual Performance

21:10 - Superstars in the Team

22:30 - Who Offered Head Coach Role?

27:03 - Freedom in the Dressing Room

29:18 - Expectations from Players

32:06 - Who Does Gambhir Listen To?

33:34 - Gambhir on Ashwin's Remarks

35:25 - Achievements as Head Coach

40:02 - Fitness in the Game

43:43 - Mental Makeup During Test Matches

46:37 - The Role of Family

48:44 - Mood in the Dressing Room After Victory

49:56 - First Meal After Victory

50:20 - Diet Discipline in Cricket

51:32 - Planning for the 2027 World Cup

51:56 - Does IPL Drain Players?

52:47 - What’s Next for Gambhir?

53:12 - Will Gambhir Rejoin Politics?