Gautam Gambhir says his relationship with Rohit Sharma stretches back to their playing days, shaping how they work together now as coach and captain. Gambhir told JioStar that when Rohit first entered the Indian team, Gambhir was already a senior player, so their connection didn’t start when Gambhir took up coaching.
“I don’t think so. See, Rohit’s and my relationship wasn’t just of captain and coach. Rohit’s and my relationship, when Rohit came into the team, I was a senior player at that time,” Gambhir said. “So Rohit’s and my relationship is from back then. Rohit knew me since then. It is not like Rohit and I had a new relationship, or that I came as a coach from a foreign country who has neither seen Rohit play, nor knows Rohit individually or personally what kind of person he is.”
This long-standing familiarity means Gambhir has watched Rohit develop through various stages of his career. Rohit, in turn, has known Gambhir as a senior figure before the latter’s coaching role began. The pair’s history allows them to work through disagreements without disrupting team dynamics.
“So often when you have played together, things become very easy. And in fact, he knows my thinking, I know his thinking,” Gambhir said. “Because tomorrow I might have some other thinking, the captain might have some other thinking, but ultimately, whatever is in the best interest of the team, if that’s the last final decision, then nothing can be better than that.”
Gambhir stressed that a coach and captain don’t need to always agree but should understand each other’s perspectives. That understanding helps avoid distractions when final decisions are made.
Rohit was the first of four India captains Gambhir has worked with as coach. Suryakumar Yadav has led the T20I side, while Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have also taken on captaincy duties. Gambhir said all four share a common focus.
“And that’s why I said that with all four, whichever four captains I have worked with, this has been my experience with them, that everyone’s intention has been Indian cricket,” he said.
Gambhir’s comments arrive amid shifting narratives around Rohit following the Lord’s ODI in July. Ahead of that match, reports suggested it might be Rohit’s last game and that he was no longer part of India’s World Cup plans. Rohit then scored 138, reaffirming his place. BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has publicly backed the veteran batter.
Meanwhile, there have been changes in India’s selection committee. TimesofIndia.com reported Ajit Agarkar is unlikely to get an extension as chief selector, with Parthiv Patel emerging as the frontrunner.
Against this backdrop, Gambhir’s reflection offers insight into the evolving professional relationship between two figures whose connection began long before their current roles.
According to Yahoo Sports.