Rohit and Gambhir reportedly don’t see eye-to-eye anymore.
A fresh report has detailed the striking breakdown of mutual trust between veteran India opener Rohit Sharma and head coach Gautam Gambhir, heavily mirroring the infamous Greg Chappell-Sourav Ganguly era.
According to news agency PTI, when Gambhir was considered the front-runner to replace Rahul Dravid as India head coach in 2024, Rohit went to the then Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) mentor and personally requested him to take the job.
During an IPL training session at the Wankhede Stadium, Rohit is said to have told Gambhir, "Gauti bhai Indian team mein aa jaao (Gauti brother, join the Indian team)”.
Gambhir reportedly accepted on one condition, replying, "If you remain captain, I will definitely join."
Despite this initial camaraderie, people close to Rohit explicitly warned him that transitioning from Dravid’s flexible management style to Gambhir’s rigid coaching philosophy would be an uphill challenge.
The cracks in their working relationship became visible just months into Gambhir's tenure. Following India's humiliating 0-3 home Test series whitewash against New Zealand, tension began brewing over team selection and tactical approaches.
The friction intensified significantly during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia as Rohit’s infamous interview after opting out of the fifth Test at Sydney left Gambhir ‘stunned’.
The report claimed there were conflicting accounts over discussions ahead of the England Test tour, with Rohit’s camp saying he had committed to playing all five Tests and even spoke with Gambhir about England's bowling attack.
However, the selection committee alleged Rohit wanted to recheck his future after the first two Tests, which selectors rejected. The 39-year-old eventually stepped away from Test cricket after being told he faced being dropped from the squad.
The definitive collapse of the relationship occurred after Rohit was removed as ODI captain, months after leading India to a Champions Trophy victory. This sudden sacking severely dented his trust in the team management, whose aim was to prepare a formidable younger squad for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
(With PTI Inputs)