With Team India winning the T20 World Cup 2026 on 8 March, Gautam Gambhir maintained his extraordinary record in ICC finals. Across different roles as a player, captain, mentor and head coach, he has never lost a final. Under his coaching, India defeated New Zealand by 96 runs to become the first team to win the T20 World Cup thrice.
Gautam Gambhir first made his mark as a ‘big match’ player. In the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup final against Pakistan, he scored the highest runs (75) and played a crucial role in India’s victory.
Four years later, he again delivered on the biggest stage. In the 2011 ICC ODI World Cup final against Sri Lanka, Gambhir was again the highest scorer (97 runs) and helped India lift the trophy.
His success continued after his playing career. As the captain of Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR), he led the team to Indian Premier League (IPL) titles in 2012 and 2014. Later, as a mentor, he guided KKR to another IPL championship in 2024.
Gambhir’s achievements have now extended into coaching as well. As India’s head coach, he helped the team win the ICC Champions Trophy and Asia Cup in 2025.
Now, his biggest individual milestone comes as India become the first team to defend the T20 World Cup title. With this victory, Gambhir became the first person to win the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup both as a player and as a head coach.
Gautam Gambhir’s Test records
While Gautam Gambhir has enjoyed major success in white-ball cricket, his tenure as head coach of the Indian Test team has been challenging. India’s performances in Test matches have been inconsistent under his coaching.
Since his taking charge, India has played 19 Test matches. Out of these, the team won just 7 matches, lost 10 and drew 2. This gives Gambhir a win percentage of around 37.
One of the biggest setbacks during his tenure was the end of India’s long unbeaten run in home Test series. For more than 12 years, India had remained unbeatable at home. However, under Gambhir’s coaching, that record came to an end.
India also suffered several historic defeats. The team faced its first-ever 0-3 whitewash at home in a Test series against New Zealand. Another disappointing moment came when India lost a home Test series to South Africa for the first time in 25 years.
There were also concerns about India’s batting performances. During this period, India recorded their lowest-ever Test total at home, scoring just 46 runs against New Zealand.
Some critics believe Gambhir’s aggressive, T20-style approach may not always suit the longer format. Experts have also questioned his preference for playing more all-rounders instead of specialist batters.
In November 2025, his decision to send Washington Sundar at No. 3 in the 1st Test against South Africa in Kolkata was widely criticized.
