Gautam Gambhir faces severe criticism after an old clip where he called it ‘India’s misfortune’ if Rohit Sharma wasn’t captain goes viral. The video resurfaced immediately after the BCCI, with Gambhir’s consultation, replaced Rohit with Shubman Gill as ODI skipper for the Australia series.
October 6, 2025: Team India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir has become the focal point of a massive backlash from cricket fans following the BCCI’s surprising decision to replace Rohit Sharma with Shubman Gill as the ODI captain for the upcoming Australia series. The move, seen by many as a premature end to Rohit’s successful tenure, has led to a major social media storm, with an old video of Gambhir praising the star batter’s leadership now being widely circulated as evidence of “hypocrisy.”
The BCCI announced the squads on Saturday, confirming that while veterans Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will remain part of the ODI scheme, the team will be led by the young Shubman Gill, a transition clearly geared towards the 2027 ODI World Cup.
The Viral ‘Misfortune’ Comment
The fan fury has been amplified by the re-emergence of an old video, seemingly from Gambhir’s commentary days before Rohit took on the full-time captaincy role (around 2021-22). In the clip, Gambhir passionately advocates for Rohit’s leadership, stating:
“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, because Rohit Sharma cannot do anything more than this.”
Following the weekend’s captaincy change, this statement has been weaponized by irate fans, who are now accusing the new head coach of being “hypocritical” and “two-faced.” Social media platform X (formerly Twitter) has been flooded with angry posts directly targeting Gambhir, with users questioning his motives for a leadership shift that has removed a captain with a remarkable 75% win record in ODIs (42 wins in 56 matches).
A Strategic Shift for 2027
Despite the fan sentiment, the selectors and team management are believed to have made the move with long-term strategic planning in mind. At 38, Rohit Sharma would be 40 by the 2027 World Cup. Sources suggest the change was made to consolidate leadership across formats under a younger player like Shubman Gill—who is also the current Test captain—and to give him sufficient time to grow into the role ahead of the next global tournament.
Rohit Sharma, who led India to two major white-ball trophy wins, will continue to feature in the squad as a senior player, beginning with the three-match ODI series in Australia. The decision, however, has overshadowed the team announcement, creating a fiery debate that pitches fan loyalty against the team management’s new vision for Indian cricket.