Gautam Gambhir blasts IPL team owner over ‘split coaching’ demand following India’s ODI series win against South Africa

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The celebratory mood following India‘s dominant ODI series win over South Africa was briefly overshadowed by a fiery confrontation. India head coach Gautam Gambhir, while speaking at the post-match press conference, slammed the critics, with his sharpest words reserved for an unnamed IPL team owner who had publicly called for a split coaching model in Indian cricket.

While Gambhir did not name the individual, it was clear his comments were directed at Parth Jindal, the co-owner of the Delhi Capitals (DC), whose social media post following India’s recent Test series loss had sparked the controversy.

Notably, the tension began in the wake of India’s surprise 0-2 Test series defeat to South Africa at home. The Test team, in a phase of transition following the retirements of several senior players, faced immense scrutiny, particularly after a heavy defeat in one of the matches. It was following this disappointment that Jindal took to social media platform X (formerly Twitter) to voice his frustration and propose a structural change to Indian cricket.

“Not even close, what a complete thrashing at home! Don’t remember seeing our test side being so weak at home!!! This is what happens when red ball specialists are not picked. Time for India to move to a specialist red-ball coach for Test cricket,” Jindal had tweeted.

Not even close, what a complete thrashing at home! Don’t remember seeing our test side being so weak at home!!!This is what happens when red ball specialists are not picked. This team is nowhere near reflective of the deep strength we possess in the red ball format. Time for…

— Parth Jindal (@ParthJindal11) November 26, 2025

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The opportunity for Gambhir to address the criticism came after India secured the ODI series against the Proteas with a convincing performance. While reflecting on the media scrutiny, Gambhir’s focus quickly turned to the public comments made by the IPL owner. In a visibly stern and pointed message, Gambhir stressed the importance of respecting professional boundaries.

“There were a few things said by people, who didn’t have any connection to cricket. One IPL owner also wrote about split coaching. This is very surprising. It’s important for people to stay in their domain. We don’t go into their domain. So, they have no right to interfere in what we do,” said Gambhir in the post-match presser.

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