Harbhajan Singh Backs Split-Coaching Idea Amid Debate Over Gautam Gambhir’s Role

Harbhajan Singh had backed the idea of split-coaching for Indian cricket, saying there was nothing wrong with the concept despite Gautam Gambhir’s earlier opposition.

It was not long ago that Gautam Gambhir took an indirect dig at Delhi Capitals co-owner Parth Jindal for suggesting split-coaching in Indian men’s cricket, asking him to “stay in his domain”. On Tuesday (January 6), Gambhir’s former India teammate Harbhajan Singh said there was “nothing wrong” with the idea.

Split-coaching refers to appointing different coaches for different formats of the game. The concept gained popularity when England adopted a similar approach during their successful 2019 World Cup campaign under Eoin Morgan, who led a side dominated by white-ball specialists rather than regular Test players.

In Gambhir’s case, the discussion around split-coaching has largely been driven by his struggles in the Test format, which stand in contrast to his strong white-ball record. Since taking charge last year and overseeing a phase of transition, Gambhir has lost more Tests than he has won. He has also become the only coach in Indian cricket history to suffer two home series whitewashes.

Harbhajan Singh Suggested Balance

Harbhajan, however, struck a more balanced note than Jindal, showing sympathy towards Gambhir while still supporting the broader idea.

“It is not that easy to become a coach of India. To be a coach, you have to travel with the team for a whole year and keep yourself involved in the game. You have to be more engaged because there are multiple team selections, and you also need to focus on match results,” Harbhajan told ANI.

He further defended Gambhir’s credentials as a former player and urged patience from critics. “Gautam Gambhir does not go there to play. When he was playing, he played well. He played very well for India. Everyone needs to be patient. If you feel you need to split the coaching, such as adopting a policy of one white ball and one red ball, then there is no need to do so for now. But over time, if needed, you should definitely do it. There is nothing wrong with that,” he added.

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Meanwhile, there have been rumours about the BCCI informally approaching VVS Laxman for the Test coaching role, although the board has publicly denied such claims. India are not scheduled to play another Test match until August 2026, giving the team management time to assess the situation before taking any major decisions.