Sandip Patil, a member of India's 1983 World Cup-winning team, revealed that he had a falling out with Gautam Gambhir after omitting the former India opener from the team when he was chief selector. Patil said he once had a strong rapport with Gambhir, but that relationship deteriorated, as the current head coach now ignores him at public events.
He discussed this fallout during an interaction with Vickey Lalwani on his YouTube channel, where he shared insights into his time as selector and his changing equation with Gambhir.
Patil, who played 29 Tests and 45 ODIs for India, noted that players react differently to being dropped from the national team. He pointed out that VVS Laxman, Rahul Dravid, and Sourav Ganguly retired after being omitted, but Gambhir remains visibly upset.
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“Gambhir is still upset with me. He has never spoken to me, even during TV shows we attended together. Every time I say hello, there is no response—not even a glance. But I still respect him," Sandip Patil said on Vickey Lalvani's YouTube channel.
“(But) That’s him. He’s such a great guy. We have played tennis together. We had such a "That's just how he is. He's a great guy. We played tennis and had a strong rapport. Gautam used to call me every couple of weeks. When I lost my coaching job, he called me. But that's fine," he added, as icons like Tendulkar, Dravid, and Ganguly retired.
“Every person is different. Gautam was very serious.” He concluded by reflecting on how every cricketer handles being dropped differently. Patil noted that Gautam's seriousness and focus on his career contributed to his strong reaction. He contrasted this with Laxman, Dravid, and Ganguly, who retired quietly, and Sehwag, who hoped for a celebratory farewell but did not receive one.