Explained : ‘Gautam Gambhir has ruined team India with Politics’: Ex-Pakistan batter Ahmed Shehzad and Its Impact

oi-Sauradeep Ash

Former Pakistan opener Ahmed Shehzad has sharply criticised India head coach Gautam Gambhir, claiming the former batsman has imported political baggage into the national team environment following India’s heavy defeat to South Africa in the Super 8 stage of the T20 World Cup 2026.

The loss has left India’s semi-final hopes hanging by a thread and placed Gambhir under intense scrutiny. His team-selection decisions, particularly preferring Washington Sundar to Axar Patel in the must-win encounter, have been widely questioned by fans and former India stars including Ravichandran Ashwin.

Speaking on the show Haarna Mana Hai, Shehzad suggested that Gambhir’s four-year stint as a Member of Parliament from East Delhi between 2019 and 2024 had altered his approach.

“When you enter any field, a complete focus is needed. Gambhir entered politics, and obviously his mindset changed. He was not very successful in politics, but it seems he has brought that same politics into the team environment. All this politics from Gautam Gambhir has damaged the image of the Indian team,” said Shehzad.

Shehzad further accused the coaching staff of failing to utilise available resources effectively, highlighting the puzzling exclusion of wrist-spinner Kuldeep Yadav, who has featured in just one match during the tournament despite his proven match-winning ability.”The team resources are not being used properly – Gautam Gambhir is not managing them as well. You have a match-winner like Kuldeep Yadav, but he’s not being handled correctly,” he added.

The former Pakistan batter also floated the possibility of a disciplinary angle behind Kuldeep’s continued omission. He referenced the altercation between Kuldeep and captain Suryakumar Yadav immediately after India’s high-voltage win against Pakistan, during which Suryakumar was seen pushing the spinner.

Although both players later posted a joint video downplaying any rift, Shehzad insisted there could be more to the story.

“There was an incident after the Pakistan game where Suryakumar Yadav pushed him. People are now saying that perhaps Kuldeep Yadav was dropped because of a disciplinary issue or a problem with Suryakumar Yadav. Otherwise, he would not have been left out. Kuldeep Yadav brings variation and is a match-winner,” he added.

With mounting pressure on both Gambhir and Suryakumar Yadav – despite India remaining unbeaten in bilateral series since the duo took charge – the team now faces Zimbabwe in their second Super 8 fixture on Thursday, February 26. A strong performance will be essential to keep semi-final hopes alive.