Gautam Gambhir's Old 'India Captaincy' Remarks On Rohit Sharma Resurface: "It's A Shame"

India head coach Gautam Gambhir is facing the music from the fans after an old video of him praising Rohit Sharma's captaincy resurfaced on social media. This comes after Rohit was axed as ODI captain by the BCCI last week, passing on the reins to Test captain Shubman Gill. Reports have suggested that both Gambhir and chief selector Ajit Agarkar played an important role in orchestrating the change in guard. In the viral video, which was released before Rohit took charge of the Indian team, Gambhir can be seen praising the 37-year-old for his captaincy in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

"If Rohit Sharma doesn't become the India captain, it's India's misfortune, not Rohit Sharma's. If he doesn't become the captain in white-ball cricket or T20 cricket, it's a shame," Gambhir can be heard as saying in the old video.

"It's a shame because Rohit Sharma cannot do anything more than this," he added.

Never seen anyone more hypocritical and two-faced than Gautam Gambhir. The same guy who once said, "If Rohit Sharma doesn't become India's captain, it's India's loss, not Rohit's," now doesn't want him as captain after becoming coach himself. pic.twitter.com/pqRzYKDR2a

— Kusha Sharma (@Kushacritic) October 4, 2025

Rohit led India in 56 ODIs, winning a stunning 42, losing just 12, with one ending in a no-result and another in a tie. His win percentage of 75 per cent makes him one of the world's best white-ball leaders statistically.

Under Rohit, India secured the 2018 and 2023 ODI Asia Cup, finished as runners-up in the 2023 ICC Cricket World Cup at home, and won the ICC Champions Trophy in Dubai this year.

From February 2022 onwards, when Rohit took on his full-time ODI captain role against the West Indies, Team India won 34 out of 46 matches and lost just 10 under Rohit's leadership. One match ended in a no-result, while another was tied.

In 46 ODIs, Hitman scored 1,963 runs in 45 matches at an average of 47.87 and a strike rate of 116.84, including three centuries and 15 fifties. During this phase, no player who captained in a minimum of 20 ODIs struck at a better strike rate than Rohit.

After being appointed as the ODI captain, Gill has set his sights on the World Cup. With India expected to play around 20 ODIs during the buildup to the marquee event, Gill intends to lift the coveted trophy in South Africa.

(With ANI Inputs)

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team Rohit Sharma Gautam Gambhir Cricket