“He only likes and dislikes certain acts” - Gautam Gambhir’s coach opens up on him not liking MS Dhoni & Virat Kohli

There have been certain misconceptions around current India head coach Gautam Gambhir and his relationships with former Indian captain MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli. While there is a notion that he dislikes both these cricketers, Gambir's childhood coach Sanjay Bharadwaj has finally shed light on the situation.

While talking on 'The Raunac Podcast' (via Hindustan Times), Sanjay stated that Gautam Gambhir has never disliked anyone and does not hold personal grudges. However, his childhood coach said that Gambhir likes and dislikes certain acts, saying:

"Gautam has never disliked anyone. This is a fact. People say that Gambhir doesn't like Dhoni. Even Virat Kohli for that matter. He doesn't dislike anyone. He only likes and dislikes certain acts. Gautam Gambhir doesn't have a personal grudge against anyone," Sanjay said.

For context, Gambhir has often voiced his opinion openly about how MS Dhoni got the credit for winning India the 2011 World Cup with his last six in the final.

Gambhir has always stressed that it was a complete team effort and not just one six that won India the trophy. This led to a notion being built that the current India head coach is not on good terms with Dhoni.

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For Gautam Gambhir, it does not matter whether it is Kohli or anyone else: Sanjay Bharadwaj

After Dhoni, a similar notion also developed about Gautam Gambhir not liking Virat Kohli. The perception was built as the two cricketers were involved in a heated argument during the 2013 Indian Premier League (IPL) season.

Their feud continued during the 2023 IPL season after a game between the Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) due to an incident involving Afghanistan pacer Naveen Ul Haq.

However, Sanjay Bharadwaj has cleared the air, stating if anyone comes after Gambhir's team's players (Naveen in this case), then it does not matter to him even if it is Virat Kohli.

"We have spoken about it. He says 'Sir, you know, right? Have I ever done anything? Ever said something about anyone? Never.' Even Virat Kohli for that matter. He only fights for the team. For example, if anyone says anything to Naveen, then for Gautam it doesn't matter whether it's Kohli or anyone else," Sanjay reflected.

Sanjay also mentioned that while these controversies involving Gautam Gambhir take place on the pitch, there is no bad blood off the field.

"He feels 'Naveen is my team player'. And being the family that he was, being the senior that he was, Gautam stepped up. Gambhir treats his team as family, that philosophy which states, 'I will run into anyone against my team.' His controversies stem from everything that happens on the ground. It never spills out of the ground," he concluded.