The ‘Gautam Gambhir era’ in cricket faced a rough start this week as Team India lost an ODI series to Sri Lanka for the first time in 27 years. This has led to a flurry of social media reactions, with many calling for the newly appointed head coach to resign and others taking to trolling him.
One X user quipped, “So proud of Gautam Gambhir for winning the silver in Sri Lanka.”
Another remarked, “You lost to Sri Lanka after 30 years. What have you done to cricket, bhai?”
A third user questioned, “Is this the same Indian team that performed better before Gautam Gambhir took over as coach? Losing an ODI series to a Sri Lankan team missing their top players is troubling. It seems the downfall began with Gambhir’s era.”
A fourth comment humorously noted, “Interviewer: Which is the toughest overseas tour for Team India: England or Australia? Gautam Gambhir: Sri Lanka tour.”
Sri Lanka won the series 2-0 after the first match ended in a tie, marking their first bilateral series victory over India in the 50-over format since 1997. Meanwhile, the top-ranked Indian team experienced their third consecutive batting collapse in the series, being dismissed for just 138 in 26.1 overs.
The controversy comes amid the Paris Games, with some posts making Olympics-themed jabs at Gambhir. His congratulatory messages to medal-winning athletes also drew criticism, with many referencing the Sri Lanka series.
One comment read, “The cricket team will play so poorly under Gauti Bhai’s coaching that people will start watching hockey. Thanks, Gauti Bhai.”
