‘I don't think as if I'm feeling the heat’ – Gautam Gambhir unfazed by criticism ahead of Australia tour

It has been a chaotic past few months for Gautam Gambhir as India’s head coach. The dividends obtained have been a melting pot. The high of winning T20I series have come with their fair share of ordeals as India faced a home Test defeat after 12 years. As a result, there has been a massive debate around Gambhir’s tactics and capabilities as a coach.

However, according to Gambhir, he continues to remain unaffected by the various claims on social media. Of late, there have been reports doing the rounds in relation to Gambhir’s future as head coach if India don’t fare well in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 

"What difference does social media make in my life, and for anyone's life? When I took up this job, I always knew that it was going to be a highly difficult job and a highly prestigious job as well. I don't think as if I'm feeling the heat because my job is to be absolutely honest," Gambhir told reporters during India's pre-departure press conference.

He also shared the reason for it being an “absolute honour” to coach the setup. "There are some incredibly tough people in that dressing room who have achieved some great things for the country and will continue to achieve some great things for the country. So, it's an absolute honour to be coaching them and coaching India," noted Gambhir.

They still work really hard; they're still passionate: Gautam Gambhir on Rohit, Kohli

Gambhir conceded that he does not pay heed to the comments passed by Ricky Ponting on Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

"Not at all...Ricky Ponting should think about Australian cricket, what concerns does he have for Indian cricket? Virat and Rohit are incredibly tough men. They've achieved a lot for Indian cricket and they will continue to achieve a lot," noted Gambhir.

Also Read: ‘What does Ponting have to do with Indian cricket?’ - Gautam Gambhir defends Virat Kohli ahead of BGT 2024-25

He also highlighted that the drive to prove a point was particularly intense due to what had gone down in the recently-concluded series against New Zealand.

“They still work really hard. They're still passionate. They still want to achieve a lot more and that is something which is very important. The hunger in that dressing room is incredibly important for me and for the entire group of people as well in that dressing room. I feel there's a lot of hunger, especially after what has happened in the last series," he added.