Gautam Gambhir has thick skin, knows how to block out criticism: Murali Kartik

Murali Kartik believes Gautam Gambhir has the thick skin needed to deal with social media criticism and remain focused on his responsibilities as India's head coach.Gautam Gambhir on India tour of New Zealand (PTI Photo)New Delhi,Nov 11, 2026 19:22 ISTFormer India spinner Murali Kartik believes Gautam Gambhir has the thick skin needed to deal with criticism and knows how to insulate himself from the noise surrounding his tenure as India's head coach.Gambhir has faced considerable scrutiny since taking charge in July 2024. While he has enjoyed success in white-ball cricket, India's inconsistent performances in Test cricket and disappointing results in some bilateral assignments have raised questions about his coaching methods, team selections and approach.“Unfortunately, that is what you signed up for, and that is what you will get. Sometimes you need to have a very thick skin. Create a skin where nothing hits you. You have to become that sort of person. What social media has done, where anyone can say anything, unfortunately, this is what will happen,” Kartik said on Cricbuzz.Also Read: Dr Vedika Magar quit government job for cricket, now she dreams of an India jersey “You have to insulate yourself from all of that and look at your own intentions. As a coach, you can only look at your intentions, and that is all that matters,” Kartik added.Gambhir also addressed the criticism surrounding India's preparation following their seven-wicket defeat in the fifth T20I against New Zealand. With India having already sealed the series, the head coach felt people were quick to judge the team based on results without understanding the circumstances or processes behind its performances. “If we hadn't won this series, no one would have talked about one practice session. Then everyone would have said, ‘Oh, how poor is this Indian team that everything has gone wrong after the World Cup’. That's the reality. It's no secret that in India, people see only results, nothing else,” Gambhir said.MIXED RESULTS UNDER GAMBIHIRGambhir's tenure has witnessed contrasting fortunes across formats. India won the Champions Trophy in 2025, the Asia Cup later that year and the T20 World Cup in 2026, establishing themselves as a dominant force in white-ball cricket.However, Test cricket has been a major concern. India suffered a 0-3 home series defeat against New Zealand in 2024, lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 1-3 in Australia and subsequently went down 0-2 against South Africa at home in 2025.India's recent T20I tour of New Zealand also produced mixed results. The visitors won the first three matches to take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the five-match series. However, New Zealand fought back, winning the fourth T20I by 87 runs and the fifth by seven wickets in Hamilton. India eventually secured the series 3-2.India also won the first two ODIs on the ongoing tour before the third match was washed out. With the series still in the balance, India will look to seal the ODI rubber when the fourth match takes place at Bay Oval in Mount Maunganui on November 12.- Ends