The T20 World Cup is just around the corner, and the pressure is already boiling over for India’s head coach, Gautam Gambhir. The "Men in Blue" are entering the tournament as the reigning champions, playing right here at home, and their confidence is sky-high. Under Gambhir’s watch, India has been absolutely flying in the shortest format of the game, crushing opponents and looking unstoppable.

Also Read: Here's why Ishan Kishan has been dropped for the 4th India vs New Zealand T20I

But there is a dark side to this story. While the T20 team looks like a machine, India’s performance in Test Cricket and ODIs has been far worse. In fact, it has been a considerable downfall. The team recently suffered a humiliating 0-2 Test series loss to South Africa and a historic ODI series defeat at home against New Zealand.

This shocking drop in form has led former Indian cricketer Manoj Tiwary to issue a massive ultimatum. He believes that if India fails to defend their title, Gambhir’s time should be up.

Tiwary didn't hold back, stating, “If Gautam Gambhir fails to win the T20 World Cup 2026, then the BCCI should take a big and difficult decision. The BCCI secretary has said that we will pursue with Gambhir till his contract expires. But if the T20 World Cup 2026 doesn't give a result to Gambhir, I think the BCCI will take a big call and will remove him.”

If Gautam Gambhir gets the axe, Tiwary already knows who should take over. “It has to be a process-driven thing. When Rahul Dravid was India's coach, and if he used to miss any series, the natural choice was VVS Laxman. Laxman, being the head coach, has always had a good winning percentage. In my opinion, the BCCI should convince him because he is a level-headed guy, and he is a very good human being as well. He has the coaching experience as well.”

Tiwary also slammed the recent leadership changes that coincided with the ODI slump. “What was the need to remove Rohit Sharma from the captaincy? I'm pretty sure that if Rohit were leading even today in the ODIs, it would have been a different result (New Zealand series) altogether. Because when he won the Champions Trophy, I think the team was going forward in the right direction.”

The message to Gautam Gambhir from Manoj Tiwary is loud and clear: Win the World Cup, or pack your bags!