Gautam Gambhir has been portrayed as the main villain in Indian cricket for a long time, and a story has developed that paints the head coach as the man behind the slow disappearance of senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Each of the Test retirements, along with the controversial requirement for senior players to participate in the domestic cricket tournaments, has seen Gambhir taking the blame for virtually every contentious decision made. Furthermore, while the recent India Test and ODI cricket struggles have led to questioning of team combinations and strategy, the discussion has been mainly centered around one enduring assertion that Gambhir is hell bent on phasing out Kohli and Rohit from the national setup.
What Did Gautam Gambhir Say?
In the first place, Gambhir breaking his silence implied about the rift between him and the two legends, choosing not to name them. He was reacting to a post on X by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, and he questioned the idea of a coach possessing ‘unlimited power’ and proposed that the truth would be revealed in the end when the emotions cool down. He said, ‘When the dust settles, truth and logic about a coach’s supposedly unlimited authority will become clear. Till then, I’m amused at being pitted against my own who are the very best’. It seemed like a clear effort to silence rumour that he was the one running interfering with the world’s best players.
Thanks a lot Dr @ShashiTharoor! When the dust settles, truth & logic about a coach’s supposedly “unlimited authority” will become clear. Till then I’m amused at being pitted against my own who are the very best! https://t.co/SDNzLt73v5
— Gautam Gambhir (@GautamGambhir) January 21, 2026
Is Something Off Between Gautam Gambhir And Virat Kohli- Rohit Sharma?
Media reports have suggested strained relations within the dressing room, especially with Rohit Sharma, and claims of reduced communication during overseas tours have further sparked the controversy around Gambhir. He has publicly stated that no player can consider himself safe with the 2027 World Cup still two years down the road, but his critics have read it as a targeted rather than a general approach. Though India managed to clinch both the Asia Cup and Champions Trophy during his training period, the constant poor Test results have firmly kept the pressure on the head coach. The scheduling of few red ball fixtures in 2026 might give Gambhir some breathing space, but failure in the forthcoming T20 World Cup could lead to heightened scrutiny.
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