KKR coach warns Gautam Gambhir's constant changes could hurt India's consistency

KKR coach Shane Watson believes Gautam Gambhir's constant chopping and changing is preventing India from reaching their full potential. He has called for greater continuity despite the team's strong record and recent T20I setbacks.Abhishek got the backing of Team India despite his lean T20 World Cup run. (Photo: PTI)New Delhi,Oct 10, 2026 20:58 ISTIndian cricket’s remarkable depth of talent has rarely been in doubt, but Kolkata Knight Riders coach Shane Watson believes the constant chopping and changing under Gautam Gambhir could be preventing the side from reaching its full potential.With India under scrutiny after failing to defend 250 against West Indies in Ranchi, the former Australian cricketer has called for greater continuity, arguing that a settled group could make an already formidable side even harder to beat.Watson made his views clear on the In The Middle With Watto podcast, pointing to frequent changes in India's batting order and personnel as a possible reason why the side have not consistently performed at their best."India haven't been performing at their best, and I believe it's because there's too much chopping and changing around the players," Watson said. "I understand that they play all year round and continue to fund world cricket because they're playing outside the IPL all the time. They do need to rotate players and keep them fresh, but there still needs to be a little more continuity."The former Australia all-rounder believes India's extraordinary batting depth makes the issue even more significant. "And if they do that, it'll be scary for the rest of the world. It's going to be ridiculously difficult to beat them," Watson added.INDIA'S CONSTANT CHANGESIndia have used 37 players in T20Is since Gambhir took charge as head coach. Australia and England have used 28 players each over the same period, while Pakistan have fielded 40, New Zealand 42 and West Indies 38.Gambhir, however, has consistently backed flexibility as a key part of India's T20 approach. Following the defeat in Ranchi, he defended the decision to promote Shivam Dube to No. 4 ahead of Shreyas Iyer, insisting that the move was part of an established strategy."We've used him (Shivam Dube) like this for a long period of time, even in the World Cup and even before that. It wasn't a one-off today," Gambhir said during his post-match press conference."We lost momentum today, but we've gained momentum when he's gone out at No. 4 and taken on the opposition bowler as well. This is international cricket, sometimes it goes your way, sometimes it doesn't go your way."Gambhir reiterated that India would continue to experiment with their batting combinations, explaining that while the opening positions remain fixed, the rest of the order is designed to be flexible."More importantly, we've been flexible with our batting line-up and we will continue to do that. I've always said since I took over that in T20 cricket, the openers are fixed, the rest everyone floats," he said.RESULTS BACK GAMBIHIRDespite the recent criticism, India's overall record under Gambhir suggests that the approach has delivered considerable success. India have won 45 of their 63 T20Is during this period, losing just 13 matches. Pakistan are next among the teams compared, with 33 wins and 23 defeats from 57 games.India won every bilateral T20I series under Gambhir until their 2026 tour of the United Kingdom, where they suffered consecutive away series defeats against Ireland and England. They also became the first team to defend the men's T20 World Cup title, retaining the trophy on home soil in 2026.Those achievements provide important context to Watson's criticism. Frequent changes have not prevented India from producing a strong run of results, while rotation remains a practical necessity given the demands of international cricket and the IPL.However, the recent setbacks have raised questions about India's ability to maintain their standards when combinations are unsettled and players are asked to adapt to different roles. Their inability to defend 249/5 against West Indies in Ranchi brought those concerns into sharper focus, despite taking three wickets in the powerplay.The challenge for Gambhir will be to balance the tactical flexibility he values with the continuity Watson believes India need. With the team's talent and recent success beyond doubt, the debate is whether greater stability can help them become even more consistent. - Ends