It happened as Gambhir wanted, star culture ended; After Virat-Rohit, Indian cricket did not stop even for Surya

Gautam Gambhir’s No-Star Culture Policy: The plan made by head coach Gautam Gambhir to completely eliminate star culture from Indian cricket is now proving true. After the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, now Snatching the captaincy from Suryakumar Yadav (SKY) This is the biggest proof that Indian cricket is no longer going to depend on any one face or name. What matters is not the name, but the current form and fitness, this strict rule of Gambhir continued for Surya also.

India may have recently won the T20 Asia Cup 2025 and T20 World Cup 2026 under the captaincy of Suryakumar Yadav, but his performance as a batsman in the last 2 years has been very ordinary.

The selectors have decided to hand over the responsibility of captaincy to Shreyas Iyer. Earlier, at the time of Rohit and Virat’s T20 retirement, Gambhir had made it clear that the youth in Team India will be given opportunities without any delay, no matter how big a name is in front.

What changes are coming in Team India?

• Performance Based Team: Now the place in the team will be given only by looking at the current form and strike rate, not by looking at the past records.
• Workload Management: The policy of giving rest to senior players will end; Only the one who is fit and playing will get priority.
• Preparing for the future: A new set of young and aggressive players is being prepared for the upcoming England and Ireland tours, who can play in the modern style of T20 cricket.

Head coach Gautam Gambhir has taken a very strong and clear stand on ending the VIP culture and star culture in the Indian cricket team. The basic mantra of his statements is that no player in the team is big or small. All 15 players in the dressing room will be treated equal. Come, let us know what statements Gautam Gambhir has given on VIP culture…

1. “My job is to build a super team, not superstars”

In an interview, Gambhir had targeted the media and fan following and said, “My job is not to create superstars in the dressing room but to create a ‘super team’. Superstars are created by the media and fans, but for me all the 15 players in the team are absolutely equal. I do not pay attention to how many social media followers a player has, what his TRP is or how much the broadcasters are showing him. My only focus is on what a player is for the team and the country. What is contributing to the victory?

2. “Perform or go out, don’t mix cricket with emotions”

On ending the VIP treatment of big names in the team, Gambhir had said in a strong tone, “I am completely against the star culture. The player who performs on the field will remain in the team, the one who does not perform will have to look for a way out. I have come here to build the team keeping the future in mind. Stop associating cricket with emotions, because India’s victory should be the only ultimate goal.”

3. Strict rules on traveling with families on foreign tours

Gambhir attacked the VIP culture not only through words but also through actions. He instructed not to treat the players’ continuous stay with their families on foreign tours as a ‘holiday’. He said, “Families are important, but players have to understand that they have come here for a specific purpose. This is not a holiday place. Very few people get the opportunity to represent the country, so the entire focus should be on making the country proud.” Under this rule, he fixed the limit of keeping the family together on foreign tours of less than 45 days to a maximum of 7 days.

4. It is mandatory to play domestic cricket

Gambhir also ended the ‘VIP culture’ in the Indian team that star players avoided playing domestic cricket after becoming established at the international level. After he became the coach, the rule was made mandatory that no matter how old a player is, if he wants to make a place in the national team or is making a comeback after injury, he must play for his state team (Ranji/Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy).