Shubman Gill breaks silence on team atmosphere amid rumours of rift between Gambhir and Rohit-Kohli

Shubman Gill has firmly dismissed rumours of tension inside the Indian dressing room amid reports of a rift between head coach Gautam Gambhir and senior batters Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

The India captain was asked about the team environment during a pre-match press conference on Saturday, following media reports that suggested things were not smooth within the ODI setup. Gill made it clear that the atmosphere in the team is positive and there are no issues between players and the coaching staff.

I think the team atmosphere is amazing. The players that you named have been in this atmosphere for decades, and they are the people who always try to push Indian cricket team forward. And I think even in the last series, you saw how well they performed. So I think the atmosphere in the team is great right now," Gill said.

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Gill lauds Rohit-Kohli

Gill also spoke highly of Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, calling them two of the greatest players India has ever produced in the ODI format. He said their presence in the team makes life easier for a captain, especially during difficult situations.

The two players you have named, one is one of the greatest openers of all time in ODIs, and Virat bhai is one of the greatest ODI batsmen ever. So definitely, having these two people in your team makes your life a lot easier, and whenever you are in a tough situation, you can go to them for input. Because they have often been in those situations, you can go to them to see how they think or what they would do. That piece of information is very valuable for any captain," he added.

The rumours began earlier in December after reports claimed that the dressing room environment during ODIs had been affected due to a strained relationship between Gambhir and the two senior batters. It is believed that Gambhir may have played a role in Rohit’s ouster as ODI captain ahead of the Australia tour.

However, these claims were played down soon after India’s ODI series win against South Africa. Following that series, Gambhir himself praised Rohit and Kohli for continuing to do what they have done for Indian cricket over the years, as both players scored heavily in the contest.

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They’re doing what they do. They’ve been doing it for such a long time for Indian cricket. Hopefully, they can continue doing the same, which is always going to be important come the white ball format and the 50-over format," Gambhir said.

Both Rohit and Kohli have retired from Tests and T20Is and only feature in ODI cricket for India. Their aim right now is to represent India in the 2027 Cricket World Cup. They recently took part in the 2025-26 Vijay Hazare Trophy to become eligible for selection in the national team. They will next be seen in action during the first ODI against New Zealand on January 11.