Gautam Gambhir laughs, jokes around inside Indian dressing room but Rohit Sharma doesn't want 'personal space' invaded

Gautam Gambhir laughs, jokes around inside Indian dressing room but Rohit Sharma doesn't want 'personal space' invaded

3 months ago | 34 Views

Gautam Gambhir broke the internet on Wednesday when pictures of him and Virat Kohli laughing like a couple of teenage guys emerged. This was the first reunion of the two former India teammates since Gambhir took over as the head coach of the Indian team. From teammates to IPL rivals to now again working for the betterment of Indian cricket, this new relation between Gambhir and Kohli has really gotten everyone buzzing. The two IPL bust-up episodes now seem to be a thing of past, with plenty of water flowing under the bridge. This is the start of a new era – the Gambhir-Kohli era – which promises more fun, laughter and candid moments in front of the camera.

The surprising factor behind the viral image was Gambhir's rare laughter. The former India opener isn't known to be the chirpiest person around, at least that's what his perception has become in front of the media. Be it his stint with politics, no-holds-barred verdicts while broadcasting or remaining calm, composed and keeping a straight face as mentor of IPL franchises, Gambhir has developed this reputation of a rough and tough guy who doesn't like to smile much, when the cameras are around. But if yesterday's pictures taught us anything, it's that the public perception can go completely haywire.

Gambhir had a brilliant start to his India coach career, striking a fine pair with captain Suryakumar Yadav as India blanked Sri Lanka 3-0 in T20Is. However, as the ODIs return, the focus now lies on how Gambhir and Rohit Sharma work together to drive Indian cricket forward. On Wednesday, as Gambhir reached Colombo from Pallekele, he had his first meet-up with Kohli and Rohit since taking over as the India coach, and as expected, everything went smooth.

Will Gautam Gambhir break character?

"See, whatever little chats we had was around cricket – how to run the team, what all is needed, the departments we have done well in, the areas we lack. It was mostly catching up because I hadn't gotten a chance to meet him (since Gambhir became coach). I met him here. We were just having a basic discussion relation to the team, the tournaments that lie ahead, the road ahead," Rohit said on the eve of the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka on Friday at the R. Premadasa Stadium.

Having said that, Rohit dismissed any ideas of him or anyone else trying to change Gambhir's image. When Rahul Dravid came aboard, his persona was believed to serious, but with time, even The Wall mellowed and showed his witty side. Can the same be expected of Gambhir?

"Gauti bhai has a lot of fun inside the dressing room, jokes around, has fun. But what's personal to him is personal to him. I don't think we should try and get into this personal space – as to whether he'll laugh more often among other things. Everyone has their own ways. You may laugh more, but people may not like it. So at the end of the day, it's an individual thing I believe," mentioned Rohit.

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