The concept of split coaching has stirred significant debate in Indian cricket. While the BCCI has traditionally favoured a single head coach to oversee all three formats, the rise of Gautam Gambhir’s white-ball mastery and his failures in red-ball game has sparked calls for a more specialised approach, with many advocates pushing for the introduction of separate coaches for the formats.

India’s disappointing defeats at home to New Zealand in 2024 and South Africa in 2025 have intensified scrutiny on Gautam Gambhir. Though consistent results in limited-overs cricket still provide him some breathing space, his failure to deliver in the longer format has raised questions about his future in the red-ball arena.

Gautam Gambhir has been the subject of both support and criticism, with many acknowledging the inevitable teething problems that come with a new coach handling a youthful team in transition. His former teammates, in particular, have rallied behind him, urging for patience as he navigates these early challenges.

One of the notable supporters has been Harbhajan Singh, who once again voiced his backing for the Indian coach. In an interview with ANI, Harbhajan expressed his thoughts, saying, “Becoming the coach of India is no walk in the park. It requires you to travel with the team for an entire year and stay fully immersed in the game. You need to be highly involved, as there are numerous team selections, and the focus must also remain on the match outcomes.

Harbhajan pointed out that although criticism is part of the game, it should be balanced with praise for Gambhir whenever his teams perform well. “In India, there’s a tradition that when the team performs well, there’s silence, but the moment the team underperforms, the coach becomes the target of criticism,” he said.

Finally, Harbhajan commented on the idea of split coaching, calling it a significant decision for the BCCI. He cautioned that having multiple coaches could lead to miscommunication and inefficiencies, as splitting the focus could complicate matters. In his view, a single coach handling the team across all formats is the right approach.

“Patience is key for everyone. If you think the coaching should be split, for instance, having one coach for white-ball and another for red-ball cricket, there’s no rush to implement that right now. However, if the situation demands it in the future, there’s no harm in doing so,” he added.