“Gautam Gambhir is the best coach I have played under” - Former KKR player’s massive claim amid IND vs SA 2025 ODIs

Former Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) wicket-keeper Rahmanullah Gurbaz named Gautam Gambhir as the best coach he has played under in his career. The Afghanistan international was part of the team that won the 2024 Indian Premier League (IPL), where the former India batter served as the mentor.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz, an active presence in both international and franchise cricket, has played under a variety of coaches over the course of his cricketing journey. However, he rated the current India head coach over everyone else because of how he set up a good team environment.

The opening batter played a key role in the business end of KKR's title-winning campaign after Phil Salt's departure. He recorded valuable cameos in both Qualifier 1 and the Final against the Sunrisers Hyderabad (SRH) to seal the franchise's third IPL trophy.

"He's the best ever coach, human being, and mentor that I have had in my career so far. I love the way he goes about things," Rahmanullah Gurbaz told PTI on the sidelines of the ILT20 2026 season.

"When you have a good team environment, you will always be on top. He made the environment very easy for us, nothing stressful, nothing strict, and that is why we won the tournament. He is not strict, but he is disciplined. He is only strict when something goes against discipline" he added.

Gautam Gambhir's return to KKR in a coaching capacity ended after just one season, as he was appointed as Team India's head coach soon after. Rahmanullah Gurbaz featured for the franchise in IPL 2025 as well, before being recently released ahead of the 2026 mini-auction.

"You can say that 2-3 million people will be against him" - Rahmanullah Gurbaz on the ongoing narrative against Gautam Gambhir after IND vs SA 2025 Tests

Gautam Gambhir has come under the scanner after Team India lost the home Test series against South Africa last month by a 0-2 margin. The concerning set of results was the Men in Blue's second home series loss in the space of 12 months, and it hampers their position at the halfway mark of the World Test Championship (WTC) fixtures.

Rahmanullah Gurbaz defended his former coach, stating that hate is inevitable in a large cricketing nation like India.

"If 1.4 billion people are there in your country, you can say that 2-3 million people will be against him. The rest are with Gautam sir and the Indian team. It doesn't make much sense to talk about them," Gurbaz said.

"India just won the Champions Trophy in ODI format, Asia Cup in T20 Format. They have won a lot of series, so you can't blame them for one series," he added.

Team India returned to winning ways with a 17-run victory over South Africa in the first ODI in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30. However, the pressure still firmly remains on Gambhir as far as the red-ball displays are concerned.