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The once celebrated unity of the Indian cricket team seems to be falling apart with reports of a fractured dressing room under the head coach. Gautam Gambhir doing rounds on social media amid the ongoing Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25.
A scathing report in The Australian has painted a grim picture, alleging conflict not only among the senior Indian players but also among the reserve players on the tour to Australia, which only got worse after their humiliating loss in the Boxing Day Test at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. (MCG).
The rift between Gautam Gambhir and Rohit Sharma causes a stir in the dressing rooms
Gautam Gambhir, whose tenure as the head coach of Team India has been marred by disappointing results, is not on good terms with the captain, Rohit Sharma. Gambhir and Rohit’s strained relationship has rubbed off on the entire Indian cricket team, with even the reserve players feeling alienated and ignored during the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy.
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A report in The Australian claimed that an Indian reserve player confessed at the kebab shop that neither coach Gautam Gambhir nor captain Rohit Sharma even spoke to him, exposing deep cracks in the team . The report also claimed that things are not going well between the captain and the coach.
India’s underwhelming performances since Gambhir’s appointment have only fueled the fire. Starting with an ODI series defeat to Sri Lanka, a humiliating home Test against New Zealand, and now squandering their chance to retain the 2024-25 Border-Gavaskar Trophy, Gambhir’s tenure has raised questions about his leadership both on and off the field.
Indian cricket team grapples with conflicts on Australia tour
What is particularly alarming is the comparison with previous coaches Ravi Shastri and Rahul Dravid, when the dressing room thrived in harmony and unity during their tenures. Now, those golden days seem over as internal disputes are affecting India’s performance. The tension reached a boiling point, with whispers of miscommunication and favoritism adding fuel to the fire.
The author of the report wrote: “I bumped into a reservation from the Indian team in a kebab shop at 1.45am before one of the Tests. After explaining why I needed the ‘meal in the evening, he asked me if Rohit, the captain, had mentioned me at any point during the tour.
Has Gauti (Gambhir) bhai told you anything about me? The poor guy cut a sullen figure and then hung his head and said, “No one tells me anything in the team. Not the captain or the coach.”
In particular, India’s pace trio of Mukesh Kumar, Navdeep Saini and Khaleel Ahmed were initially named as reserve players for the ongoing five-match Test series in Australia. However, all three have since returned home, focusing on domestic cricket duties at home.
Mukesh Kumar has rejoined Bengal and is participating in the 2024-25 Vijay Hazare Trophy, while Navdeep Saini has also resumed play for Delhi in the 50-over tournament.
On the other hand, Khaleel Ahmed, who played his last match against Australia A in early November, is back in India but is yet to feature in any domestic or competitive matches since his return.
