The Board of Control for Cricket in India vice president Rajeev Shukla lashed out on rumours claiming rift between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and captain Rohit Sharma. These reports came out after India failed to perform in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25 in Australia.
Rohit-led India failed to perform in five Test matches against Australia resulting in a 1-3 series loss. Rohit just scored 31 runs in three Test matches, after failing to perform in three Test matches India's captain decided to opt out from the fifth Test match in Sydney.
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After Rohit's poor performance, there were speculations that he had developed serious differences with Gambhir and that there was dissension in the dressing room due to the poor performance of him and other senior batters, including Virat Kohli.
"It's completely wrong statement, there is no rift between chairman of selection (Ajit Agarkar) and coach, there is no rift between captain and coach. This is all rubbish which is being spread in a section of media," Shukla said in a sharp retort to questions on the team's dynamics in the aftermath of the loss.
After Australia's win in the fourth Test match, a report came out claiming that Gambhir had issued an ultimatum to the seniors to either perform or be prepared to be sidelined.
"This is also wrong that Rohit has insisted on captaincy. He is the captain. Form or lack of form is part and parcel of the game. These are phases, nothing new. When he saw he is out of form, he dropped himself from the fifth Test," the veteran administrator asserted.
After losing 3-1 in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy 2024-25, the Men in Blue are out of the World Test Championship contention. Team India are currently focussing on the white ball series against England which is scheduled to start from January 22. Team India will play a five-match T20I series followed by a three-match ODI series.