India national cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir became the mentor of the West Indies national cricket team momentarily after the end of the two-match Test series between the teams.
West Indies’ tour of India 2025 recently ended with the visitors whitewashed 2-0 as they lost the first match of the series by an innings and 140 runs and the second Test by 7 wickets.
I just wanted him to come and share some of his experiences – Daren Sammy
Shubman Gill’s first home series as Test captain was quite boring as West Indies did not pose a major challenge. Things were mostly one-sided in the two test matches, and the gap between the skills of the two teams was clearly visible.
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The West Indies players were no match for the Indian superstars, and the only notable thing the Roston Chase-led side did on the tour was struggle in the second innings of the Delhi Test after India forced a follow-on.
The West Indies team received praise for showing a good fight at the Arun Jaitley Stadium and taking the Test match to the fifth day, and Roston Chase said they would use it as a springboard for the resurgence of cricket in the Caribbean.
Meanwhile, West Indies head coach Daren Sammy decided to invite Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir to the dressing room to give an emotional speech and share his experience with the players.
“Gautam is here, coaching an elite team. I just wanted him to come and share some of his experiences, some of the things that he has been able to do that bring this type of success. Sometimes you just need to hear another voice,” Sammy said while introducing Gambhir in a video shared by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). “So, Gautam, thank you for doing this. The floor is yours,” he added.
It’s always a privilege to play West Indies, whether at home or away – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir started his speech by saying that playing against West Indies was a privilege for India because of the team’s heritage. He added that West Indies is actually aiming to play cricket and the current crop of cricketers have the ability to inspire the next generation.
“It’s always a privilege to play against the West Indies, whether it’s home or away. I think, for me, the most important thing that I used to say to Daren too, is the way you carry yourself on and off the field. I think it’s a great learning experience, the way you carry yourself off the field. Your humility, your humility is something that my team and a lot of teams around the world need to learn from,” said Gautam Gambhir.
“There are very few teams who have someone like a West Indies who has a purpose to play this game. And when you have a purpose, purpose is always more important than love. And when I look at you, I feel that you can inspire the next generation of West Indies. I think the way you played in the second innings of that Test match is probably the model that can take West Indies cricket forward,” he added.
West Indian cricket doesn’t need world cricket – Gautam Gambhir
Gautam Gambhir further urged the West Indies players to start appreciating small contributions and concluded his speech by giving a motivating phrase that “West Indian cricket does not need world cricket. World cricket needs West Indian cricket”.
“In a team sport, I think the most important thing is that every contribution must be appreciated. It is sometimes very easy to talk about 100, about 5ers. It is the small contributions that make a team. Not the big contributions,” Gautam Gambhir said.
“And finally, guys, I want to say one thing, and it’s something I’ve always believed in. You might feel like I’m just saying it for fun, but it comes straight from the heart. West Indian cricket doesn’t need world cricket. World cricket needs West Indian cricket,” he added.
Mentoring Masterclass ft. @GautamGambhir
West Indies head coach Darren Sammy invited India head coach to speak to the boys after the Test series and what unfolded was a pure masterclass! 👌- By @Moulinparikh
🔽 Watch | #TeamIndia | #INDvWI | @IDFCFIRSTBank
– BCCI (@BCCI) October 14, 2025
Also Read: Ravichandran Ashwin Teaches Shubman Gill About Captaincy After India’s Test Series Win Against West Indies
