Gautam Gambhir says shared history shaped his coach-captain relationship with Rohit Sharma

Gambhir: Rohit relationship was built long before coaching

Gautam Gambhir has offered a candid explanation of why his working relationship with Rohit Sharma differed from a conventional coach-captain partnership, saying the two had known each other since Rohit’s early days in the India setup.

Speaking to JioStar while reflecting on the four India captains he has worked with, Gambhir said he was already a senior player when Rohit entered the national team. That meant their relationship did not begin when Gambhir became head coach.

“Rohit’s and my relationship wasn’t just of captain and coach,” Gambhir said. “Rohit’s and my relationship, when Rohit came into the team, I was a senior player at that time.”

Gambhir added that their shared past gave both men a better understanding of how the other thinks. In his view, that familiarity can make disagreements easier to manage because differences of opinion do not automatically become a distraction.

“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,” he said.

Indian cricket the common priority

Rohit was the first of four India captains Gambhir has worked with during his coaching tenure. Suryakumar Yadav later led the T20I side, while Shubman Gill and Shreyas Iyer have also taken on captaincy responsibilities.

Despite their differing leadership styles, Gambhir said all four captains shared the same central objective: serving Indian cricket.

“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,” Gambhir said.

Comments follow renewed focus on Rohit

Gambhir’s remarks come after renewed discussion around Rohit’s future in the one-day international setup. Following reports that the Lord’s ODI in July could be his last and that he was no longer part of India’s World Cup plans, Rohit responded with a commanding 138 in the match.

BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia has since voiced strong support for the veteran batter. The wider selection setup has also come under scrutiny, with reports suggesting Ajit Agarkar may be less likely to receive an extension and Parthiv Patel emerging as a possible successor as chief selector.

Against that backdrop, Gambhir’s comments underline how his connection with Rohit has evolved—from senior player and younger teammate to coach and captain—while keeping the team’s interests as the final priority.