'We Go Back a Long Way': Gautam Gambhir Opens Up on His Deep-Rooted Bond with Rohit Sharma

Gautam Gambhir said his strong bond with Rohit Sharma stems from their long history as teammates, dating back to 2007. Their mutual trust and understanding helped build a successful partnership that led India to the 2025 Champions Trophy title.

Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir (File Photo)

Image Credit: ANI

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir revealed his deep-rooted and long-standing bond with former captain and star opener Rohit Sharma, emphasizing that their camaraderie dates back to their playing days when Gambhir was a senior in the national squad.

Before Gambhir and Rohit became a coach-captain duo, they were teammates for years in the Indian dressing room. They played a pivotal role in helping the Men in Blue win their maiden T20 World Cup title in 2007, with both playing instrumental knocks in the final against Pakistan, where Gambhir scored 75, and Rohit provided a crucial 16-ball 30 in the middle, laying the foundation for a historic triumph.

Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma played together 61 international matches for Team India before the former retired from professional cricket in 2018, establishing a strong foundation of trust and mutual respect that has seamlessly translated into their current leadership partnership.

‘Relationship with Rohit Wasn’t Just Captain-Coach’

When Gautam Gambhir became the head of Team India in 2024, Rohit Sharma was captaining the side in ODIs and Tests after retiring from T20Is following the Men in Blue’s 2024 T20 World Cup triumph.

Speaking on JioStar, Gambhir addressed the dynamics of working with senior players, emphasizing that his connection with Rohit is built on years of shared history rather than a brand-new professional arrangement.

“I don’t think so. See, Rohit’s and my relationship wasn’t just that of captain and coach. Rohit’s and my relationship: when Rohit came into the team, I was a senior player at that time. So, Rohit’s and my relationship goes back then. Rohit has known me since then,” Gambhir said.

“It is not like Rohit and I had a new relationship, or that I came as a coach from a foreign country who has neither seen Rohit play nor knows Rohit individually or personally, what kind of person he is,” he added.

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When Gautam Gambhir made his India debut in 2003, Rohit Sharma was just emerging as a bright young talent in domestic circles. 4 years later, the two found themselves sharing a historic partnership on the world stage, helping India lift the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa and laying the bedrock for an enduring cricket friendship.

‘Rohit Knows My Thinking’

Further speaking on the seamless synergy from his long association with Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir highlighted how deep-rooted familiarity eliminates friction often found in new coach-captain pairings, allowing them to communicate with absolute transparency

“So often when you have played together, things become very easy. And in fact, he knows my thinking; I know his thinking,” Team India head coach.

“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.

Under Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir’s leadership, Team India won the Champions Trophy 2025, defeating New Zealand by four wickets in the final in Dubai to claim their third Champions Trophy title.

Now, Rohit is no longer the captain as he retired from Test cricket in May 2025 and subsequently stepped down from ODI captaincy, with Shubman Gill taking over as India’s ODI captain.