Was Gautam Gambhir responsible for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli announcing their retirement from Test cricket?
Within a year of Gambhir assuming the role of India’s head coach, Ravichandran Ashwin, Rohit and Kohli retired from the longest format. The off-spinner hung up his boots in December 2024, midway through the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, while the batters bid the format adieu in May 2025.
Pushed Rohit & Kohli out?
It was largely believed that Gambhir was behind it. Ashwin’s spot was no longer guaranteed. Rohit was dropped midway through BGT due to a lack of runs. Kohli feared the same would happen to him during the England tour in June-July and decided to leave on his own terms.
But these were all reports. No one knows what truly happened. Gambhir was asked how he deals with the outside noise, which suggests he doesn’t have a great working relationship with Rohit or Kohli.
“You have tweeted that people are trying to put your players against you. Something like that. Clearly, it refers to Virat and Rohit: trolls, outside noise, and all that. There is so much talk. You guys share the same dressing room. You are winning matches for India. How do you deal with that? That the head coach is against a senior player – a Virat Kohli or a Rohit Sharma. Obviously, there is pressure. How do you deal with such comments?” the presenter asked at the Revsportz Trailblazers Conclave in Kolkata.
Gambhir responds
Gambhir admitted to making mistakes. What kind of mistakes? He didn’t mention. He stated that he or the players would make errors in judgement. He realises that there might have been missteps, but every decision was taken for the greater good of the team. Once again, Gambhir didn’t mention what decisions he was talking about.
“I am human, I should be allowed to make mistakes. Players should be allowed to make mistakes. I must have made mistakes in the last 18 months. I do not shy away from that. But I have always believed in one thing: wrong decisions with the right intent are acceptable. But wrong decisions with wrong intent are absolutely not acceptable in that dressing room. Till the time that I am honest with my dressing room and I can talk to them by looking into their eyes, I think I am doing a fair job in my position,” Gambhir replied.
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