Aakash Chopra has offered a grounded piece of advice to India’s head coach Gautam Gambhir, urging him to avoid “picking up so many fights,” especially in the aftermath of his indirect swipe at Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal. Jindal had recently suggested the idea of split coaching within the franchise, and Gambhir’s response — asking him to stay within his “domain” — stirred fresh debate at a time when scrutiny around India’s performances is already intense.

India may have wrapped up the ODI series against South Africa, but the sting of the Test whitewash at home still lingers. For Gambhir, it marked the second home series defeat of his tenure as coach, inevitably drawing questions about his methods, mindset, and management style.

Critics across platforms have pointed fingers at the Delhi politician-turned-coach, believing his aggressive approach has contributed to India’s inconsistency. Aakash Chopra, speaking on his YouTube channel, explained that Gambhir’s brutally honest personality is both his strength and his most significant trigger point.

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“With Gautam, you always expect complete honesty,” Aakash Chopra said. “He speaks straight from the heart during press conferences. But I have one suggestion for him, and I’ll probably tell him personally too. When someone is fiery by nature and publicly goes after individuals, people start waiting for that person to fail. It feels like you’re unknowingly setting yourself up for criticism.”

Chopra, however, made it clear that Gambhir’s intentions have never been in question. “One thing is certain — Gautam’s heart is always in the right place. He’s passionate to the core, willing to fight for the country every single time. But my advice is simple: don’t fight so much. Because people love a downfall story, and unnecessary battles only add fuel to that narrative.”

Reflecting on the incident with Jindal, Chopra hinted that unseen tensions might have played a role in Gambhir’s sharp remark. He suggested that personal history or earlier opinions could have triggered the reaction, even if the public found it unnecessary.

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“Sometimes we fail to see the undercurrents,” he added. “Maybe he felt hurt because he knew that person already held a certain opinion of him. That might have pushed him to respond. But broadly, I don’t think the idea of ‘domain expertise’ should decide who gets to speak.”