"If ever in need, I'll be the first one standing next to him" - When Gautam Gambhir vehemently denied rumors of rift with MS Dhoni
Over the years, there have been numerous rumors of a rift between Indian cricket stars Gautam Gambhir and MS Dhoni. A number of times, Gambhir has been openly critical of the importance given to Dhoni's 2011 World Cup-winning six. According to the former batter, Dhoni's six alone did not win India the World Cup and hence the stroke should not be excessively glorified.
Further, in an indirect manner, he has also claimed that Dhoni played a part in him getting dismissed for 97 in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka by reminding him that he was getting close to his ton. This, and a few other comments of his, have made fans believe that is not well between Dhoni and Gambhir.
In an interview with Jatin Sapru on his YouTube show 'Over and Out' back in 2022, though, the current India head coach cleared the air around rumors of a rift between him and the Indian cricket legend. Speaking about it, the former India batter passionately said that he would stand by Dhoni if the need arises.
"It's b*****t, it's crap. See I have so much of mutual respect for him and it'll always remain. I've said it on air, I'll say it on your channel, I can say it anywhere in front of 138 crore people, that if ever in need, I hope he's never in need, but if ever in need in life, I'll be the first one standing next to him because of what he's done for Indian cricket, what he's as a human being," Gambhir had commented.
The 43-year-old admitted that he had some differences of opinion with the former India captain, but asserted that the two share a lot of mutual respect. He added:
"See we can have differences in opinion, you might look at the game a different way, I might look at the game in a different way. I've got my own opinions, he's got his own opinion. I've actually been the vice-captain the longest time when he was the captain... We've been rivals on the field when we played for our respective teams. But I've got so much mutual respect for him, for the kind of person, the kind of cricketer he is."
While Gambhir top-scored with 97 off 122 in the 2011 World Cup final against Sri Lanka, skipper Dhoni was named Player of the Match for his 91* off 79 balls.
Gambhir played a key role in Dhoni-led Team India's 2007 T20 World Cup triumph
While Gambhir and Dhoni have never been the best of friends, on the field they combined to give India some glorious moments. The former was a key member of the Indian team that won the 2007 T20 World Cup under Dhoni. The southpaw scored 227 runs in six innings at an average of 37.83 and a strike rate of 129.71, with a best of 75, which came in the final against Pakistan.