"Even if Gautam didn't celebrate, people still did" - Mohammad Kaif's massive remark on coach Gambhir's blunt comment after AUS vs IND 2025 series

Former India batter Mohammad Kaif has weighed in on head coach Gautam Gambhir’s comments regarding the Men in Blue’s ODI series loss to Australia. After losing the first two matches of the three-game series, the team bounced back in the final match in Sydney, with Rohit Sharma (121*) and Virat Kohli (74*) delivering brilliant performances to secure a nine-wicket consolation win while chasing 237.

In a video released by the BCCI on November 10, Gambhir reflected on the team’s overall performance in the series, saying:

“I've always been a believer that it is not about the individual performances. Yes, I can be happy with the individual performances, and I will always remain happy with individual performances, but ultimately, we lost the ODI series. That is the bottom line. I can never celebrate a series loss as a coach. As a player, I can appreciate individuals, but as a coach, it is my moral responsibility that we as a nation, and we as individuals, should never celebrate a series loss.”

Following Gambhir’s remarks, many fans felt he was subtly criticizing Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, seemingly targeting their post-match celebrations. On his YouTube channel on Tuesday, November 11, Kaif addressed a fan’s question about whether Gambhir’s comments were indeed an indirect critique, saying:

“There should be respect for a score of 100, right? Respect for a century and for match-winning knocks should always be there. Even if Gautam didn’t celebrate, people still did. Virat Kohli remained unbeaten, Rohit Sharma scored a century, and they avoided a whitewash. Yes, they lost the series, but at least they were not whitewashed.” “You see, in India, the reaction and treatment after a whitewash would have been very different. By winning that ODI, they saved their pride. Ending with a win and avoiding a whitewash gave them momentum heading into the next T20 series. So just saying that they lost the series doesn’t tell the full story, because they finished on a winning note. Avoiding a whitewash made a big difference. Going into the T20s after a win is completely different from entering under the pressure of a whitewash,” he added.

Meanwhile, Gautam Gambhir will next be in the spotlight as India host South Africa for a two-match Test series, starting November 14 in Kolkata.

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Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are expected to be in action during the ODI series against South Africa

Following the two-match Test series against South Africa, India will host the Proteas in a three-game ODI series starting November 30 in Ranchi, with both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli expected to feature.

Looking at their records, Rohit has played 276 ODIs, scoring 11,370 runs at an average of 49.22 and a strike rate of 92.66, including 59 fifties and 33 centuries. Kohli, meanwhile, has accumulated 14,255 runs in 305 matches at an average of 57.71 and a strike rate of 93.26, with 75 fifties and 51 centuries to his name.

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Edited by Dev Sharma