Former Indian cricketer Robin Uthappa has reignited the conversation regarding split-coaching for the national side following a historic series loss to New Zealand. Uthappa, a long-time teammate of head coach Gautam Gambhir at Kolkata Knight Riders, believes that bringing in different specialists for different formats could be the solution to India’s recent inconsistency.
The proposal comes at a time when Gambhir is facing intense scrutiny. The Black Caps recently secured their first-ever ODI series win on Indian soil, which included handed India their first-ever defeat at the Holkar Stadium in Indore.
Keeping the Mindset Fresh
Speaking on his YouTube channel, Uthappa argued that the sheer volume of cricket played by India necessitates a more specialized coaching structure to prevent mental fatigue and tactical stagnation.
“There are multiple ways to slice a cake. I am very open to having multiple coaches for different formats. India plays a lot of cricket. You feel like the mind also becomes stale when you move from one format to another. Sometimes you are so consumed. You can’t really prepare for another format when you are dealing with one at a certain point in time. So you want to have that freshness of mindset and energy as well. From that perspective, I feel it (split-coaching) should work,” Uthappa explained.
The Challenge of Cohesion
While Uthappa is a proponent of the system, he acknowledged that implementing such a drastic change is not without its risks. He stressed that the success of split-coaching depends entirely on the level of collaboration between the different coaching staffs.
“It is not an easy call to take. You need them to work in tandem and together. If they are all working against each other, then everyone suffers. To work in cohesion becomes important. Communication lines being open at all times, knowing when someone is going to take the lead and someone taking the backseat, knowing the importance of that. It is possible but it needs to come from a place of building something big,” he added.
Final Test Before the World Cup
With the ODI series concluded, the focus now shifts back to the shortest format. Gautam Gambhir and the Indian team are under pressure to maintain their dominance in T20Is as they prepare for the 2026 T20 World Cup. India is set to face New Zealand in a five-match T20I series beginning January 21. This series represents the final competitive assignment for the Men in Blue before the global tournament kicks off on February 7.
