‘Atmosphere of insecurity in Indian dressing room’:Mohammed Kaif bluntly criticised Team India head coach; says – ‘Gautam Gambhir lacks confidence in batters’

Former Indian cricketer Mohammad Kaif has raised serious concerns about the current mindset of India’s Test batsmen. He believes the players are performing under an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty, which is affecting their confidence at the crease. His comments come a day after India suffered a 30-run defeat to South Africa in just two and a half days during the first Test in Kolkata. Kaif said that frequent changes made by the Gautam Gambhir-led management are creating insecurity in the dressing room. According to him, players are unsure about their place in the team, and this pressure is clearly visible in their batting performances. He explained that when cricketers worry about being dropped, it becomes even harder to play on challenging pitches, especially those offering spin from Day 1. ‘No confidence in players’ – Kaif Kaif strongly criticised the lack of trust shown in young and upcoming players. He said, “When players feel insecure about their position and then get such turning pitches, it becomes difficult to play well.” Also read: Women’s Premier League 2026 set to begin from January 7: Mumbai to host league matches, final to be played in Baroda; mega-auction in Delhi on 27 November He pointed out the example of Sarfaraz Khan, saying, “Sarfaraz Khan has scored more than 4 thousand runs in domestic cricket. He had also scored a century against New Zealand. Despite this, he was dropped from the team.” Kaif also mentioned Sai Sudarshan, saying he scored 87 runs in his last Test against the West Indies but still did not get picked for the next match. According to Kaif, decisions like these leave players confused, unsure about whose place in the team is safe. Raised questions on the team combination Kaif also questioned India’s team selection for the Kolkata Test. He said the team went in with a “strange combination”. According to him, sending Washington Sundar at No. 3 and playing six bowlers, including four spinners, weakened the batting lineup. He added that playing Dhruv Jurel along with Rishabh Pant did not help either, as it reduced batting depth and stability. Pitch conditions made things worse Kaif also blamed the Eden Gardens pitch, saying it offered bounce and turn from the start, making batting very difficult. He noted that neither team could cross 200 in any innings. India had specifically asked for a turning pitch, but it ended up backfiring. Also read: Kumar Sangakkara named RR head coach for IPL 2026: Franchise’s Director of Cricket gets dual role, steps in after Rahul Dravid’s short stint While chasing just 124, India lost Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul early, after which South African spinners Simon Harmer and Keshav Maharaj took control and turned the match in their favour.