“Has it happened even once when the VC was removed but the captain was intact” - Gautam Gambhir‘s old interview goes viral amid BGT 2024-25 turmoil

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir has a massive task on his hands following a turbulent start to his tenure. Apart from the concerning on-field performances, the team environment's dysfunctional state is also another headache.

Dressing room leaks, unrest among the players, and questionable team selections have all portrayed the team as vulnerable in recent times. With an impending transition on the horizon, there is also a need for a leadership hierarchy, which is in complete disarray.

Rohit Sharma's future in Tests is uncertain, but the red-ball side has a designated vice-captain in Jasprit Bumrah. However, the same cannot be said for the white-ball team. Hardik Pandya, Shubman Gill, KL Rahul, and Suryakumar Yadav have all led the side recently, but there is doubt as to who the first-choice deputy is.

The vice-captain tag is constantly shuffled in Indian cricket of late, and Gautam Gambhir can relate to it, as he was axed as vice-captain during his playing days.

"The CB series that was talking about, India did not qualify for the final, Australia and Sri Lanka did. I was the vice-captain, MS Dhoni was the captain. After that series were supposed to travel for a tri-series involving India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh. We had not qualified for the final, before that we had lost the Test series 4-0. Dhoni was also under pressure, he was the captain," Gautam Gambhir said on The Lallantop YouTube channel in 2023 (via NDTV)

"If something was changed after the CB series it was the vice-captain. I was removed and Virat Kohli was made the vice-captain. In the history of India or any sport, has it happened even once when the vice-captain was removed but the captain was intact. You can confront me, if I am wrong. Duncan Fletcher was the coach then. I asked him what was the reason behind that decision. He said it was the selectors' decision. I then asked him 'For what, then, did you go to the meeting?," Gambhir added

The dynamic of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli as the captain and deputy was intact for several years in white-ball, before the latter took over in 2017.

Gambhir led India in six ODIs with a 100 percent win record

Gambhir went on to have a prolific career as captain, but in the Indian Premier League (IPL) rather than in international colors. He led the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to two titles in three years and secured 70 wins out of 129 matches as captain.

In his time as vice-captain of the Indian team, he availed the opportunity to lead the team on sporadic occasions in the absence of the captain. He guided the team to a 5-0 ODI series whitewash against New Zealand at home, and a 34-run win over West Indies in the 2011 bilateral series finale. However, he never got the chance to play as a captain again.