![MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir [Source: X]](https://onecricketnews.akamaized.net/parth-editor/oc-dashboard/news-images-prod/1773222725020_MSDhoniandGautamGambhir.jpg?type=hq)
MS Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir [Source: X]
Indian cricket experts and fans have always been riled up about the fact of how ‘serious’ on and off-field head coach Gautam Gambhir is. While the ex-cricketer himself haven’t been very vocal about his grave seriousness, recently he admitted why he is so stern with his appearance.
Gautam Gambhir revealed why it is tough to relate to happiness amidst difficult games as he was replying to MS Dhoni’s ‘special’ social media message for him, where the latter complimented him on looking good whenever he smiles.
What Did MS Dhoni Say To Gautam Gambhir?
After India’s T20 World Cup 2026 win, something unexpected happened. Ex-captain MS Dhoni, who uses social media once in a blue moon, took to his Instagram handle to congratulate the team while also reserving a special message for the coach.
In a long caption congratulating the efforts of the Men in Blue, MS Dhoni wrote, “Coach Sahab, smile looks great on you, intensity with smile is a killer combo. Very well done,” simply complimenting Gambhir for his broad smile on his face after the massive ICC title win.
This, however, was replied to by Gambhir himself when he interacted with the comment of MS Dhoni, with Gautam Gambhir replying under his post, “And what a reason to smile. Great seeing you.”
The interaction quickly went viral on the internet as fans went crazy after all the rifts and rivalries between the two, with their past interactions and attributions towards each other seemingly dissolved.
Also Read: Gautam Gambhir Fires Shots At Kirti Azad For Religious Remark On T20 World Cup Win
Gambhir Reveals Reason Behind Seriousness
This reply was, however, further elaborated on by Gautam Gambhir while speaking to ANI. Gambhir's seriousness in the dugout, even after the team inclines towards a win, has troubled spectators for a very long time, and the coach himself expressed that losing is not an option in India, as the weight of expectations makes him grieve.
"But that’s why, being a coach, I feel that sometimes it is very difficult to be in a situation where people commenting on it have never actually been in that position. But good on him that he tweeted that, honestly. However, I feel that when you are sitting in the dugout, there is so much at stake," Gambhir told ANI.
Gambhir further explained that the pressure of winning, especially in a tournament like the World Cup, means smiling is not always the best option.
"There are always huge expectations from the Indian team. Even if you want to laugh or smile, and of course everyone would like to, many times you just cannot. Especially when you are playing a tournament like the World Cup. Because in India, unfortunately, losing is not considered an option. That’s true, but it can still happen. If losing was not an option, then the team would have won every World Cup, but that’s not how it works," said Gautam Gambhir.
Gambhir Elaborates That Sports Is A Serious Business
But Gambhir also elaborated that sports do not guarantee any return despite the amount of hard work one team puts in. Hence, a serious behaviour is to be maintained to keep up with the neutrality of the game.
"This is sport. You invest your entire life into something, but there is no guarantee of returns. It’s not like equity or the share market where you know what kind of returns you will get on your investment. Here, you work hard for one and a half years, you invest everything, and there is still no guarantee that you will win the World Cup.
Just think about it, if we had not won the World Cup or if we had lost in the semi-final, then the return would essentially be zero, right? After putting in so much effort and making such a huge investment. That’s why I say sport is very different from other professions," said Gautam Gambhir.
India Dominate New Zealand In T20 World Cup Final
Nevertheless, the hosts had a solid run in the final, where they put up a total of 255 runs to defend, thanks to Sanju Samson's 46-ball 89 and Abhishek Sharma and Shubman Gill's 50s.
New Zealand, though, had a faulty start with Jasprit Bumrah taking four wickets while Axar Patel scalped three. Hardik Pandya, Varun Chakravarthy and Abhishek Sharma also picked up one wicket each to see an end to the game, where New Zealand handed India a win by 96 runs.
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