Following India’s 17-run win over South Africa in the 1st ODI, head coach Gautam Gambhir and ex-captain Rohit Sharma were seen in an animated dressing room discussion. The clip went viral, fueling fan speculation about a possible rift between them.
Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir and former captain Rohit Sharma were caught having an animated chat in the dressing room following the Men in Blue’s victory in the first ODI of the three-match series against South Africa at the JSCA International Cricket Stadium in Ranchi on Sunday, November 30.
Team India took a 1-0 series lead with a thrilling 17-run win over the Proteas, making a comeback after a Test series whitewash at home. After posting a total of 347/9, thanks to Virat Kohli’s phenomenal 135-run knock and fifties by KL Rahul (60) and Rohit Sharma (57), India managed to bundle out the visitors for 332, despite Corbin Bosch's momentum-changing knock of 67 off 51 balls.
Kuldeep Yadav led the bowling attack with figures of 4/68 at an economy rate of 6.8 in 10 overs. Harshit Rana (3/65) picked three wickets, while Arshdeep Singh (2/64) took two scalps. Prasidh Krishna (1/48) took the final wicket of Corbin Bosch to seal the victory for the Men in Blue in the series opener.
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Rift Between Gambhir and Rohit?
Although Team India won the opening game of the ODI series against South Africa, what caught the attention of fans was the animated conversation between Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma in the dressing room after the match in Ranchi. As soon as the series opener concluded, the cameras zoomed in on the dressing room, where Gambhir and Rohit were having a chat.
In a video that went viral on social media, Team India head coach and former captain appeared to have a serious conversation with each other, but the topic of discussion between the two remained unclear.
Gambhir was seen saying something to Rohit, who shook his head before offering his own response — the subject of the chat, however, remains unknown.
Rohit Sharma was the captain of Team India in ODIs and Tests when Gautam Gambhir took over as the head coach in July last year, and the duo has maintained a largely professional working relationship. After retiring from Tests in May this year, Rohit has continued to remain in the ODI side, intending to extend his illustrious career till the 2027 World Cup, while Gambhir remains at the helm as head coach.
Fans Speculate Gambhir-Rohit’s Post-Match Conversation
The video of Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma having a conversation in the dressing room quickly sparked widespread online discussion, with the fans offering their own interpretations of the animated exchange.
Taking to their X handles (formerly Twitter), fans and cricket enthusiasts speculated that Rohit Sharma was unhappy with what Gautam Gambhir had said during the discussion, while others trolled the head coach for appearing ‘sad’ in front of Rohit.
Rohit Sharma, alongside Virat Kohli, is under the radar of the selectors as their form, performance, consistency, and match fitness are expected to be evaluated for their role in India’s long-term ODI plans in the build-up to the marquee event.
Meanwhile, Team India will look to seal the ODI series when they take on South Africa in the second match at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in New Raipur on Wednesday, December 4.
