Cricket
After India's successful campaign at the World Cup, an unexpected story has surfaced. Former India selector Sandeep Patil shared a strange experience involving head coach Gautam Gambhir.
Former India selector, Sandeep Patil, has claimed that even when he and Gambhir used to sit in the same room, Gambhir used to ignore him. This remark has now sparked a fresh controversy after the T20 World Cup success.
It all started in 2013, when Sandeep Patil was the selector. Due to Gambhir's poor performances, he was not selected, and, to this day, he holds a grudge against the former selector for not having him in the squad.
“When you are sitting in the chair of the selection committee, you are responsible for making some big calls. I’ve shared a good rapport with Sachin since he was 14. He has played under me, with me. Whenever I text him, he replies immediately. I met Yuvraj recently on the flight; very cordial. Even Virender Sehwag. They all talk to me nicely. Except Gambhir. He was very dear to me. Even today, I respect him a lot, but he is upset with me, and rightly so," Patil said on the Vicky Lalwani show.
"Even I was upset with the selection committee when I got dropped. I scored a 100 in Pakistan, the highest at Kotla against England in both innings, and got dropped. Never played Test cricket again,” he added.
“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 a ‘Hi’, he has never responded. Not even a glance. But that’s fair enough,” Patil concluded.
Old memories, strong opinions, and a rivalry that still sparks debate. But today, Gautam Gambhir stands as India’s head coach after the ICC Men's T20 World Cup 2026 triumph. Whether the silence between him and Sandeep Patil ever ends, only time will tell.