Rohit Sharma, Gautam Gambhir put an end to rift rumours at Lord's balcony: ‘Locked in’

Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir were all smiles on the eve of the third and final ODI against England.

Updated on: Jul 18, 2026, 22:41:32 IST

Written by Vishesh Roy

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There is a lot of chatter about the Indian dressing room, and the matter escalated further earlier this week after reports emerged that Rohit Sharma might play his last ODI for India on Sunday at Lord's Cricket Ground. The performances have been mixed for the Hitman in the ODIs of late, and the pressure is truly mounting on him as Yashasvi Jaiswal continues to warm the bench, despite scoring two centuries in his last three matches for the Men in Blue.

Rohit Sharma and Gautam Gambhir were all smiles (BCCI- X)

Amid rising speculation about Rohit's future, a PTI report also shed light on the nature of the relationship between the former India captain and head coach Gautam Gambhir. The report revealed that Rohit approached Gambhir to take up a coaching role in the Indian setup, but later their relationship soured, especially during the Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia.

Also Read: Team India ‘not concerned’ about Rohit Sharma's form amid growing speculation about his future: ‘He’ll work it out'

However, on Saturday, both Rohit and Gambhir were seen giggling with each other at the Lord's balcony, and the spirits within the camp seemed happy. The duo were also joined by the batting coach Sitanshu Kotak.

The trio had a brief chat on the balcony, and soon all the parties headed to the pitchside area for the training session ahead of the third and final ODI.

In the ongoing series, Rohit has returned with scores of 11 and 26. The Cardiff ODI saw Rohit being really scratchy as he ate up 47 balls for his score of 26. An Indian Express report then later reported that Rohit wants to continue playing and represent the team in the World Cup, but the selection committee doesn't see him in their plans for the tournament.

The same report claimed that Rohit could be on his way out and might play his last match for India on Sunday. However, the BCCI has now denied these rumours, with secretary Devajit Saikia going on record to say Rohit won't be playing his last match in London.

Virat's equation with Gambhir

Not just Rohit and Gambhir, much has also been said about the equation between the head coach and Virat Kohli. Ever since the latter retired from Tests, the duo have not been seen speaking to each other during training sessions or in the dressing room.

However, after the loss in the second ODI, Sitanshu Kotak denied the rumours, saying both Virat and Gambhir are on talking terms and exchange notes about the game situation every now and then. Kotak also denied acting as a “bridge” between the two parties.

Kotak had also denied the presence of pressure on Rohit, saying it was a matter of time before the former India captain came good and got on the run-scoring board.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Vishesh Roy
Vishesh Roy is a sports journalist with a strong focus on cricket. He began his career at Asian News International (ANI), where he covered a range of high-profile events, including the India Open, Legends Cricket League, the England–India Test series in Ahmedabad in 2021, and the inauguration of the Narendra Modi Stadium. During his tenure at ANI, he also reported extensively on domestic cricket, covering several Ranji Trophy and Vijay Hazare Trophy matches across the country. While cricket remains his primary beat, Vishesh has also reported on tennis, football and WWE. After a stint of over three years at ANI, Vishesh moved to NDTV, where he gained hands-on experience in digital-first journalism, with a particular emphasis on live blogs and real-time news reporting. He joined Hindustan Times in October 2024 and quickly established himself with a series of exclusive interviews and source-driven stories. Ahead of the IPL 2025 auction, Hindustan Times was the first to report that the two-day event would be held in Saudi Arabia. In the early months of his tenure, Vishesh secured interviews with leading cricketers, including Pat Cummins, Shreyas Iyer, Nitish Kumar Reddy and Rashid Latif. He has also closely tracked the rise of emerging talents such as Vaibhav Suryavanshi and Priyansh Arya by speaking to their current and childhood coaches. His background in on-field reporting has helped Hindustan Times Digital break exclusive stories on major developments, including Virat Kohli’s return to the Ranji and Vijay Hazare Trophy, IPL scheduling, and the T20 World Cup controversy involving Bangladesh and Pakistan.Read More

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