Former BCCI Chairman of Selectors Sandeep Patil has been open about the fractured relationship between him and current India head coach Gautam Gambhir. Speaking on the Vickey Lalwani show this week, Patil detailed how Gambhir refused to speak to him or even acknowledge his presence since he was dropped from the national side more than a decade ago.
The fallout comes from the 2013 home series against Australia when Sandeep Patil’s selection committee the seismic decision to drop Gambhir in favor of the rising Shikhar Dhawan. While Dhawan’s debut was an iconic, blistering 187 in Mohali, it signaled the beginning of the end for one of India’s most decorated openers.
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According to Patil, there was once a deep bond between them. “He was very dear to me,” Patil noted. “We used to play tennis together on tour and when I was fired as coach years ago, Gauti would call me every two weeks to check in.
But that warmth evaporated the moment Gambhir was shown the escape door. Patil revealed that despite sharing the same studio space for various TV shows on national news channels, silence remains absolute.
Also read: Dhoni never asked to drop Yuvraj Singh, says former selector Sandeep Patil
“Gambhir is still angry. He never spoke to me. We met at so many different shows. We sat in the same room, but Gautam never even looked at me. That’s fine. Every time I reached out to him or said ‘hello’, he never responded. Not even a look. But that’s fair enough,” Patil said.
Patil noted that while other legends like VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar accepted their departures with grace, Gambhir remains “rightfully angry” as he never felt his time was up.
EARLY END OF A GREAT CAREER
Gambhir’s international career is one of high-stakes heroics, notably his top scores in the 2007 T20 World Cup final (75) and the 2011 ODI World Cup final (97). Yet despite amassing more than 10,000 international runs, Gambhir has often described his career as unfulfilled.
He played his last ODI in early 2013 and, despite sporadic Test appearances in 2014 and 2016, never regained his permanent place. In past interviews, Gambhir has admitted that being knocked out in the 2007 ODI World Cup almost made him quit the game, and his subsequent expulsion left him feeling suffocated by a system he believed did not value honesty.
Gambhir played 58 Tests, 147 ODIs and 37 T20Is for India between 2003 and 2016. He did not play white-ball cricket after January 2013 and was not part of the Champions Trophy team that won the title in England that year.
“Well, fate intervened. I think I was good enough to play a lot more, but the variables were not in favour,” Gambhir had once told PTI.
“I made many enemies because I could not tolerate bad things… but I slept peacefully.
Ironically, the man who felt his career was cut short because of access and selection politics is now the one making the tough calls. Fresh off leading India to successfully defend the 2026 T20 World Cup as head coach, Gambhir is currently overseeing a transitional phase for Indian cricket.
Gambhir was widely credited for the comebacks of Sanju Samson, Ishan Kishan and Varun Chakravarthy. Samson played a key role in India’s T20 World Cup success, scoring 321 runs in five matches, including scores of over 80 in the semi-final and final.
For Sandeep Patil, being offended is the price he pays for the job he once held.
“He doesn’t forget and he doesn’t forgive,” Patil said. “I still respect
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Issued by:
Akshay Ramesh
Published on:
11 March 2026 18:54 IST
