Gautam Gambhir admits ‘mistakes’, reacts to ‘head coach vs Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma’ narrative: ‘I am also human'

Gautam Gambhir acknowledges his mistakes during his nearly two-year tenure as India's head coach, emphasising the importance of honesty and intent.

Updated on: Mar 16, 2026, 17:27:04 IST

Written by Aditya Bhattacharya

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In his nearly two-year stint with the Indian team, Gautam Gambhir, by his own admission, has made many mistakes. But that’s only part of being human, right? The India head coach has been in the news ever since he took over in July of 2024, often finding himself at the centre of a storm. Be it India’s steep decline in Test cricket, or his reported beef with stalwarts Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Then again, Gambhir remains the only coach to have won two ICC trophies with the Indian team – the 2025 Champions Trophy and the recently concluded 2026 T20 World Cup. Add to that last year’s Asia Cup title, and Gambhir has a decent CV to boast of – at least in white-ball formats.

Suryakumar Yadav holds the T20 World Cup trophy with Gautam Gambhir. (PTI)

At the Trailblazers event organised by RevSportz, Gambhir was asked about a recent tweet in which he suggested that certain people were trying to pit his players against him. The question referenced the constant speculation about his relationship with senior players Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, with narratives often suggesting he is on a mission to expel them from the team. This, despite them sharing the same dressing room and working together to win matches for India. Dealing with the perception that the head coach is at odds with two of the team’s most senior cricketers can often be tough, but Gambhir puts his point straightforwardly.

“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 not in that dressing room,” he said.

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The equation between Gautam Gambhir and Rohit, Virat has been a hot topic of discussion ever since the two announced their retirements from Test cricket. Both Gambhir and Agarkar have had to face flak, although there’s no concrete evidence that Ro-Ko was pushed out of Tests. All they have said on record is that the 2027 World Cup is still some time away, and that’s enough to spark a fan backlash. Still, at the end of the day, Gambhir believes that as long as he, at the bottom of his heart, believes he is doing the right thing, he can look at himself in the mirror.

“Till the time I am doing everything with honesty, till the time I can be honest with everyone in that dressing room, I can look into their eyes and talk to them, I think I am doing a fair job with my position. That is something I can live with. I don’t need to clarify anything and everything that appears on social media,” added the head coach.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aditya Bhattacharya
Aditya Bhattacharya is the Sports Editor at Hindustan Times Digital, with close to 15 years of experience in sports journalism. Over the course of his career, he has worked with leading media organisations including Cricbuzz, The Times of India, Network18 and Zee. Primarily a cricket writer, Aditya has covered several marquee events, including the 2016 ICC World T20, the 2019 ICC World Cup in England and the 2023 World Cup in India. His reporting portfolio also includes international cricket across England, South Africa and New Zealand, along with forays into tennis, including coverage of the Australian Open. He has interviewed several prominent athletes across sports. Aditya began his career with a brief stint at CricketNext before getting his first major break at Cricbuzz, where he was part of the Times Network’s startup venture GoCricket, which later merged with Cricbuzz. After nearly 18 months there, he moved to The Times of India, covering his first World Cup assignment and reporting first-hand on landmark moments such as Virat Kohli’s iconic innings against Australia in Mohali. During his three-year tenure, he played a key role in both reporting and desk operations and was recognised as TOI Employee of the Quarter in 2016. He later joined Zee, where he covered the 2019 World Cup across five venues in England—an assignment he considers a career highlight. At Hindustan Times, Aditya’s leadership came to the fore as he was promoted to lead the sports team within 18 months. Under his stewardship, the section has delivered extensive coverage of global sporting events, including the IPL, Olympics, Cricket World Cups, FIFA World Cups, Commonwealth Games and Asian Games. In 2024, he was named HT DigiStar of the Year. Aditya continues to adapt to the evolving digital publishing landscape, with a sharp focus on search and audience engagement. Outside work, he occasionally plays the guitar and remains an avid gamer.Read More

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