Gambhir on Rohit bond: 'He knows my thinking, I know his'
Synopsis
Gambhir's candid JioStar interview reveals a coaching philosophy built on personal history — he and Rohit go back to their playing days, not just the dressing room. With four captains across formats and a home season opener looming, Gambhir's 'team-first' mantra is being tested in real time.
Key Takeaways
Gautam Gambhir said his bond with Rohit Sharma predates their coach-captain roles, rooted in shared time as teammates.
India begin their home season against West Indies in a three-match ODI series , starting Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram .
Gambhir has worked with four captains since taking charge in July 2024 : Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, and Shubman Gill.
He praised all four for a consistent 'team-first' attitude regardless of differing tactical views.
Gambhir called Shubman Gill's handling of the England Test series 'brilliant', predicting the best is yet to come from the young captain.
India head coach Gautam Gambhir on Thursday, 24 September 2026, opened up about his deep-rooted relationship with veteran opener and former captain Rohit Sharma, saying their mutual understanding goes far beyond the conventional coach-captain dynamic. The two are set to reunite in the dressing room when India begin their home season against West Indies in the first of three ODIs starting in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday.
A Bond That Predates the Coaching Role
Gambhir traced the roots of his equation with Rohit to their shared days as teammates, well before either assumed leadership responsibilities. 'Rohit and my relationship wasn't just of captain and coach. When Rohit came into the team, I was a senior player at that time, so Rohit and my relationship is from back then,' Gambhir said in an interview to JioStar.
'Rohit has known me since then. So, often when you have played together, things become very easy. And in fact, he knows my thinking; I know his thinking. Because 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 final decision, then nothing can be better than that,' he added.
Working Across Four Captains Since July 2024
Since taking charge as India's head coach in July 2024, Gambhir has worked alongside four different captains across formats — Rohit Sharma (Test and ODI), Suryakumar Yadav (T20I), and now Shreyas Iyer (T20I) and Shubman Gill (Test and ODI). He praised all four for their unwavering 'team-first' attitude.
'All the captains I've worked with, everyone's first intention has always been team first. And I am very fortunate that I have worked with four such people who have always put the team ahead of themselves,' Gambhir said.
Gambhir on Shreyas Iyer and Shubman Gill
Gambhir recalled a personal connection with Shreyas Iyer, noting that he handed over the captaincy of the Delhi franchise to him in 2018 and had subsequently worked with him at Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR). 'I felt that he had that leadership quality,' Gambhir said.
On the youngest of the four, Shubman Gill, Gambhir was particularly effusive. He noted that Gill was thrust into the deep end — inheriting the Test captaincy during a demanding five-match series in England — and had navigated it with considerable maturity. 'If you get captaincy on a tour of England, that too in five Test matches, and if you push someone into the deep sea, either you will swim out really well or you will drown. But the way Shubman has handled Test cricket, it has been brilliant, and I think we will see the best of Shubman in the coming years,' he said.
India's Home Season Begins Against West Indies
The India-West Indies ODI series kicks off in Thiruvananthapuram on Sunday, marking the start of a busy home calendar for the Indian side. The series will be an early opportunity to see how Gambhir's stated philosophy — aligning the coach's vision with each captain's instinct — plays out on the field as Rohit Sharma returns to lead in the fifty-over format.
Point of View
He positions himself as a peer-turned-guide rather than a top-down boss. That works when the captain and coach are aligned, but it also narrows the coach's latitude to push back in a crisis. The real stress test will come not in a feel-good press interaction but in a tense selection room — when Gambhir's thinking and Rohit's thinking diverge. The India-West Indies series is too early and too low-stakes to reveal that fault line; the bigger home Tests ahead will be the truer measure of whether this chemistry holds under pressure.
NationPress
24 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
What did Gautam Gambhir say about his relationship with Rohit Sharma?
Gambhir said his bond with Rohit Sharma goes back to their playing days, well before he became India's head coach. He described it as a relationship of mutual understanding, saying 'he knows my thinking; I know his thinking.'
When does India's home ODI series against West Indies begin?
India's home ODI series against West Indies begins on Sunday in Thiruvananthapuram, marking the start of India's home season. It is the first of three ODIs in the series.
Which four captains has Gambhir worked with since becoming India's head coach?
Since taking charge in July 2024, Gambhir has worked with Rohit Sharma, Suryakumar Yadav, Shreyas Iyer, and Shubman Gill across Test, ODI, and T20I formats. He praised all four for prioritising the team over personal ambitions.
What did Gambhir say about Shubman Gill as Test captain?
Gambhir praised Shubman Gill's handling of the Test captaincy, particularly during a demanding five-match series in England. He said Gill had handled it 'brilliantly' and predicted the best of the young captain is still to come.
How does Gambhir's past with Shreyas Iyer connect to his current coaching role?
Gambhir had handed over the Delhi franchise captaincy to Shreyas Iyer in 2018 and later worked with him at KKR, giving him an early read on Iyer's leadership potential. He said this prior relationship has made their current partnership in the Indian set-up a natural continuation.
