Former India wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta has dismissed the growing comparisons between Gautam Gambhir and VVS Laxman following India’s convincing 3-0 T20I series victory over Zimbabwe. With Laxman serving as stand-in head coach during Gambhir’s absence, the dominant performance sparked fresh speculation over whether the former India batter should replace Gambhir as the full-time coach.
The debate gained momentum after India’s disappointing run in the preceding white-ball assignments under Gambhir, where the Men in Blue suffered T20I series defeats against Ireland and England before losing the ODI series to England. However, Dasgupta believes such comparisons are unnecessary and could prove counterproductive for Indian cricket.
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Dasgupta explained that Laxman has a calm and composed coaching style, irrespective of the situation on the field.
“With VVS, the dressing room atmosphere remains balanced whether the team is 50 for 5 or 500 for 5. If music is playing, it continues to play. He doesn’t allow the match situation to dictate the mood inside the dressing room. That’s his philosophy,” Deep Dasgupta said.
The former India wicketkeeper added that although he has not worked closely with Gambhir in a coaching setup, he expects the current head coach to share a similar vision for managing the team environment.
“I don’t know Gautam’s exact coaching style, but I’d like to believe it’s along the same lines. I’m sure Gautam and VVS are in regular communication regarding the players, the team’s requirements and the long-term roadmap. It’s unfortunate that people are trying to pit one against the other when both are working towards the same objective,” he added.
- Deep Dasgupta
Dasgupta also warned that creating a rivalry between Gambhir and Laxman could have a negative impact on the Indian cricket ecosystem. He pointed out that Laxman has successfully handled several assignments as interim head coach over the past few years, including during Rahul Dravid’s tenure and more recently in Gambhir’s absence.
According to Deep Dasgupta, both coaches play equally important roles in India’s cricket structure and should be viewed as complementary rather than competing figures.
“The moment we start creating a ‘VVS versus Gautam’ narrative, it becomes a problem. If that mindset ever enters the dressing room, it can be damaging. VVS has done an outstanding job at the Centre of Excellence and whenever he has stepped in as interim head coach. His winning percentage is exceptional. But I don’t see this as a comparison. It’s like the three wheels of an auto-rickshaw—they all need to work together for the vehicle to move forward,” Deep Dasgupta explained.
Laxman has enjoyed considerable success in his interim coaching stints, guiding India to a T20I series victory in South Africa and the gold medal at the 2023 Asian Games. Dasgupta believes those achievements, along with Gambhir’s recent ICC triumphs, underline the importance of unity rather than unnecessary comparisons within the Indian team management.
