India head coach Gautam Gambhir has set his sights on a new frontier for Indian cricket – Olympic gold. With cricket set to return at the 2028 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, Gambhir said the chance to be part of that journey would be special, both for him and for the players. “The Olympics are very important,” Gambhir said. “Representing your country at the Olympics is a privilege very few people get. If I get the opportunity to be part of that journey, I would love it.”
Asked if he would stay on to guide India’s Olympic campaign if the opportunity arose, Gambhir didn’t hesitate.
“Absolutely. Being part of an Olympic campaign is special. If the opportunity comes, I would love to contribute.”
While the Olympic dream is enticing, Gambhir was quick to stress that success in cricket is never about one individual.
“No coach cracks anything alone. The players win tournaments,” he said. “My role is to help them, guide them and support them. The success belongs to everyone in the dressing room – players, support staff, logistics team, assistant coaches. Everyone contributes.”
That team-first approach is central to the culture Gambhir says he wants to build.
“From day one, I said I don’t want the team to only think about winning games,” he said. “Sometimes if you only chase results, you lose sight of your style. I want us to focus on playing a certain brand of cricket consistently. If the style is right, the results will follow.”
Gambhir also had a blunt message for the way players are discussed in the media.
He said the habit of labelling players as “underrated” or “overrated” simply to drive engagement does little justice to the work they put in.
“People should stop calling one player underrated and another overrated just for clicks and numbers,” he said. “Everyone is working hard and creating value.”
The Olympic tournament is still some distance away, but Gambhir’s message was clear: if cricket is heading to the Games, India will want to be in the race for gold.