India head coach Gautam Gambhir has sent a special message to legendary captain MS Dhoni. The two recently shared a warm exchange on social media when Dhoni congratulated Gambhir following India’s T20 World Cup 2026 triumph. Now, Gambhir has expressed a wish towards Dhoni, saying that he hopes to see Dhoni in his position as head coach one day, and that the two can switch places and have a similar interaction in the future. The India head coach also reflected on Dhoni’s comment.
Dhoni had attended the T20 World Cup 2026 final at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on March 8, and later congratulated Gambhir and the Indian team for their victory.
“Good on him (Dhoni) to come and watch the World Cup final. Good on him to ask me to smile,” Gambhir said at an event by RevSportz.
“I wish one day he could be in my position, and I can write the same thing, and hopefully, he can smile from the dugout,” said Gautam Gambhir at an event by Revsportz.
Gautam Gambhir opens up on his viral exchange with MS Dhoni:
“This smile is for him” pic.twitter.com/x4T9oUbjQq
— RevSportz Global (@RevSportzGlobal) March 16, 2026
For the uninitiated, this was the interaction between Dhoni and Gambhir on social media after the final.
“Coach Sahab, smile looks great on you, intensity with smile is a killer combo, very well done,” Dhoni had posted on Instagram.
“And what a reason to smile, great seeing you,” Gambhir had replied.
Dhoni had a brief stint as mentor of Team India during the T20 World Cup 2021. At the age of 44, Dhoni’s playing career is still active, as he plays for the Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).
Gambhir, on the other hand, has a contract as India’s head coach till 2027. He has already become the first person to win two senior ICC trophies as head coach of the Indian men’s cricket team.