Gautam Gambhir Unhappy With Rohit Sharma's Comments On Rahul Dravid

Former cricketer Gautam Gambhir has criticized Indian skipper Rohit Sharma for stating that the team wanted to win the World Cup for the outgoing head coach Rahul Dravid.

Gambhir has said that the team should try to win the World Cup for the country, and not an individual. "If you want to win the World Cup for an individual, it doesn't matter who that is... this statement is not right," Gambhir said in an interview with Sportskeeda.

"If you want to say such a thing then don't say it in the media, keep it within yourself," he added.

"The truth is, it is more important to win a World Cup for the nation. I was asked the same in 2011 when everyone said we were trying to win the World Cup for one individual, I said no I want to win the Cup for my country. I picked up the bat for my country. So Rohit probably shouldn't have said this," Gambhir further added.

Before the start of the World Cup, Rohit Sharma had said that the way he (Rahul Dravid) stood by the players in difficult times, especially during the T20 World Cup, where the team was eliminated in the semifinal, now "it's for us to do it for him."

Gambhir, who was part of the 2007 and 2011 World Cup winning teams, said that Rahul Dravid deserves another term as the head coach. Team India performed really well under his guidance, so his contract should be renewed, Gambhir said while answering speculations that "the Wall" may not get an extension.

There have been rumours that Dravid is not willing to continue as the head coach, whose contract ended after the ICC World Cup 2023. Currently, VVS Laxman is performing his duties and helping men in blue to take on Australia in the five-match T20 series.