India coach Gautam Gambhir remains coy on Rohit Sharma's 2027 World Cup future

Gambhir said his connection with Rohit dates back to the latter's early days in the Indian side, giving the pair a strong understanding of each other. However, he stressed that familiarity cannot prevent difficult matters from being confronted when necessary.

According to Gambhir, the priority must always remain the interests of the Indian team, meaning there can be no concessions when problems need to be dealt with for the benefit of the side.

Rohit is no longer India's ODI captain, with Shubman Gill now occupying the position, although the former skipper remains among the team's most experienced players. Rohit and Virat Kohli have both been included in the squad for the forthcoming three-match ODI series against the West Indies.

Their continued involvement has kept questions surrounding their international futures alive, particularly with the 2027 World Cup approaching. The tournament will be staged across South Africa, Zimbabwe and Namibia.

Gambhir, however, stopped short of confirming whether Rohit will still be part of India's plans for the global tournament.

"Rohit and my relationship wasn't just of captain and coach. When Rohit came into the team, I was a senior player at that time, so Rohit and my relationship is from back then," Gambhir told JioStar.

"Rohit has known me since then so, often when you have played together, things become very easy and in fact, he knows my thinking, I know his thinking because tomorrow I might have some other thinking, the captain might have some other thinking, but ultimately, whatever is in the best interest of the team, if that's the final decision, then nothing can be better than that."