‘Must have made mistakes,’ Gambhir on rumoured rift with Ro-Ko:India coach reacts to MS Dhoni’s ‘smile’ comment on Instagram

Gautam Gambhir’s time as Team India head coach has been a talking point ever since he took up the job in 2024. On 8 March, he scripted history as the first Indian coach to win two ICC trophies as the Men in Blue bagged a record-breaking third T20 World Cup title. For long, there have been speculations of a rumoured dressing room rift between Gambhir and senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. There have also been claims that both Rohit and Virat were made to quit Test cricket, with both stalwarts stepping away from the longest format in 2025. Gambhir’s response on rumoured rift with Virat, Rohit The Team India head coach gave a blunt response when asked about the speculations of a rumoured rift with Virat and Rohit at an event in Kolkata. Gambhir set the record straight, stating that he, too, is a human and is allowed to make mistakes. “I’m a human. I should be allowed to make mistakes. Just like anyone else, a player should be allowed to make mistakes. I must have made mistakes in the last 18 months. I don’t shy away from that, but I’ve always believed in one thing. Wrong decision with right intent is acceptable, but wrong decision with wrong intent is absolutely not acceptable in that dressing room,” he said.
The former cricketer further shared that if he is honest with everyone in the dressing room and not just one or two, he seems to be doing a fair job.
“Till the time I am doing everything with honesty, till the time I can be honest with everyone in that dressing room. Not just one or two, but everyone. From the masseur to the assistant coach, till the time I’m honest to everyone, I can look in their eyes and talk to them, I think I’m doing a fair job,” he added. Also read: ‘Dhoni was hitting sixes like he was 23’: GT’s Kushagra in awe of CSK great’s ‘mindset’; speaks on his IPL 2026 prep Gambhir on MS Dhoni’s ‘smile’ comment Gambhir also looked back on MS Dhoni’s viral ‘smile’ comment after India’s T20 World Cup win. For long, a rift has been speculated to exist between Gambhir and Dhoni, but all that talk was brushed aside after the two had a heartwarming Instagram exchange. After India’s T20 World Cup win this month, Dhoni penned a congratulatory note for the team while also asking Gambhir to smile. “Coach Sahab smile looks great on you,” he wrote. And Gambhir responded to that post writing, “And what a reason to smile, great seeing u!” Reflecting on that Instagram exchange, Gambhir said that he wished Dhoni could one day be in his position (head coach). “Good on him to come and watch the World Cup final. Good on him to ask me to smile, and I wish one day he could be in my position, and I can write the same thing, and hopefully, he can smile from the dugout,” he said.