'Gambhir hasn't spoken to me for a Decade': Ex-India player's Sweet Relationship gone Sour with India Head Coach, Reason Revealed

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Former India chief selector Sandeep Patil has revealed that his relationship with current India head coach Gautam Gambhir has remained distant for more than a decade. According to Patil, Gambhir has avoided speaking to him since the decision to drop him from the national team in 2013.

The incident dates back to India's home series against Australia, when the selection committee chose to replace Gambhir with emerging opener Shikhar Dhawan.

Dhawan went on to make a spectacular debut, scoring 187 runs in Mohali, a performance that effectively marked the end of Gambhir's long run as India's regular opener. Patil acknowledged that the decision still weighs on their relationship.

"Gambhir is still upset. He has never spoken to me. We have come together on so many different shows. We've sat in the same room, but Gautam has never even looked at me. It's fine. Every time I reached out to him or said 'hello', he has never responded. Not even a glance. But that's fair enough," Patil said in a podcast recently.

Despite the fallout, Patil insisted that he continues to hold Gambhir in high regard.

"He doesn't forget and he doesn't forgive," Patil said. "I still respect him."

Before the selection controversy, the two reportedly shared a warm relationship. Patil recalled that Gambhir used to stay in touch regularly during earlier phases of his career.

"He was very dear to me. We played tennis together on tours, and when I was removed as coach years earlier, Gauti would call me every two weeks to check in," he added.

Gambhir's international journey included several iconic performances. He played a key role in India's triumphs at the 2007 ICC T20 World Cup and the 2011 ICC Cricket World Cup, delivering crucial innings of 75 and 97 in the respective finals. Even so, Gambhir has often spoken about feeling that his career could have lasted longer.

After playing his final ODI in early 2013, Gambhir struggled to secure a permanent return to the national team, despite a few brief Test appearances in later years. He was also left out of the squad that won the 2013 ICC Champions Trophy in England.

Today, Gambhir finds himself on the other side of selection debates as India's head coach. Recently, he guided the team to defend their title at the 2026 ICC Men's T20 World Cup and has been credited with backing several players who made strong comebacks, including Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan, and Varun Chakravarthy.

While the professional decision taken in 2013 helped open the door for new talent, it also created a personal distance that, according to Patil, has never truly been repaired.