Gautam Gambhir praises Rohit Sharma ahead of Champions Trophy final
What's the story
Indian men's cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir has praised his bond with captain Rohit Sharma.
The former cricketer assumed the role of coach after mentoring the Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) to victory in the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2025.
He replaced Rahul Dravid following India's win in the Men's T20 World Cup in the West Indies and United States.
"I think he's just a great guy, and that is something that's important," Gambhir stated in a video by ICC.
Coach-captain bond
Gambhir and Rohit's journey together
Gambhir and Rohit first worked together during the tour of Sri Lanka last year.
Since then, they have experienced several highs and lows together.
The duo has celebrated many bilateral series victories at home but lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy on Australian soil.
Additionally, the duo also suffered a Test series loss against New Zealand at home.
Despite all this, their bond is strong as they gear up for the Champions Trophy final against New Zealand.
Coach's praise
Rohit's character shines through, says Gambhir
As mentioned, ahead of the Champions Trophy final, Gambhir has spoken highly of Rohit in a video on ICC.
He had said, "Forget about Rohit as a captain. I've had a fabulous relationship with him. I think he's just a great guy."
According to Gambhir, being a good human being adds a lot to Rohit's success as a leader.
"When you're a good human being, you end up becoming a good leader," he further added.
Future challenges
Gambhir's confidence in Rohit's leadership
Gambhir was confident about Rohit's leadership skills.
He spoke about Rohit's success with his IPL franchise and his T20 World Cup win.
"But again, those are histories, that's the past. Now we have a new challenge ahead. Hopefully, he can be at his best, not only from a batting point of view but as a leader as well," Gambhir added.
ODI numbers
A look at Sharma's ODI numbers and captaincy record
According to ESPNcricinfo, the Indian skipper has led India in 55 ODIs so far.
He owns a record of 42-12, while one match was tied and one yielded no result, with a 76.85 win percentage.
Meanwhile, he has also smashed 11,092 runs across 264 innings at 48.64.
He also boasts a strike rate of 92.81 alongside 32 tons and 57 half-centuries.
Additionally, Rohit has scored 104 runs in four innings in the ongoing Champions Trophy.
Journey
India's road to the 2025 Champions Trophy final
The Men in Blue kickstarted their 2025 CT campaign with a dominant six-wicket win over Bangladesh.
The win was fueled by Mohammed Shami's 5/53 and Gill's (101*).
They then beat arch-rivals Pakistan by six wickets, thanks to Virat Kohli's (100*) and Kuldeep's 3/40.
In their last group game against New Zealand, Rohit's men beat NZ by 44 runs on the back of Chakravarthy's 5/42.
Meanwhile, Kohli's 84-run knock and spinners' brilliance secured India's four-wicket win over Australia in the semi-final.