Gautam Gambhir Breaks Silence On 'Mistakes' That Led To Rift Rumours With Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma

Gautam Gambhir on rift with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma [Source: @AnupPalAgt/X.com]

Indian head coach Gautam Gambhir openly admitted that he has made mistakes during his coaching tenure while addressing the controversy of an alleged rift with senior cricketers Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma.

Since becoming India’s head coach in July 2024, Gambhir has been a controversial figure. He has faced criticism mainly because of India’s decline in Test cricket, reports of tension with senior players like Kohli and Rohit Sharma, and his frequent tactical changes and experiments.

Gautam Gambhir comes clean on relationship with Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma

These narratives created the impression that Gautam Gambhir was clashing with senior players like Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma or trying to push them out of the team.

However, speaking at the Trailblazers event organised by RevSportz, Gambhir openly admitted that he has made mistakes during his coaching tenure. 

He said everyone is a human and should be allowed to make mistakes irrespective of their age, stature and maturity. 

“I’m a human. I should be allowed to make mistakes. Just like anyone else, a player should be allowed to make mistakes. I must have made mistakes in the last 18 months,” Gambhir said.

According to Gautam Gambhir, if a decision is wrong but taken with the right intent, it is acceptable. But wrong decisions made with bad intentions are unacceptable in the dressing room.

“I don’t shy away from that, but I’ve always believed in one thing. Wrong decision with right intent is acceptable, but wrong decision with wrong intent is not in that dressing room,” he added.

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Gambhir’s response to social media narratives

During the chat, India coach Gautam Gambhir strongly rejected the narratives circulating online. He said that social media speculation does not affect his work. He does not feel the need to explain every rumour.

“Till the time I am doing everything with honesty, till the time I can be honest with everyone in that dressing room, I can look into their eyes and talk to them, I think I am doing a fair job with my position. That is something I can live with. I don’t need to clarify anything and everything that appears on social media.”

As long as he is honest with players inside the dressing room, he believes he is doing his job properly. To summarise, Gautam Gambhir said that transparency with players matters more than public perception.

Gautam Gambhir praises MS Dhoni

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir also spoke about former Indian captain MS Dhoni. He hopes to see Dhoni become India’s head coach in the future.

Addressing Dhoni’s viral congratulatory message after India’s ICC T20 World Cup 2026 title victory, Gambhir appreciated the ex-cricketer’s presence at the final and hoped that one day Dhoni would be in the coach’s seat, and Gambhir could congratulate him instead.

This moment means much more because, for many years, fans believed that Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni had a tense relationship. It was because Gambhir often criticised the excessive credit Dhoni receives for India’s 2011 World Cup win.

Moreover, as a TV pundit before becoming a coach, Gambhir frequently made sharp comments about Dhoni’s popularity. But now, it appears water is under the bridge between the two stalwarts of Indian cricket.

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