Expect Kohli, Rohit to groom youngsters like Dhoni did: Gautam Gambhir

New Delhi, May 3: Former India cricketer Gautam Gambhir expects current captain Virat Kohli and his deputy in limited-overs Rohit Sharma to groom talented youngsters coming into the squad in the manner former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni used to do during his time at the helm.

Citing example of Rohit, Gambhir stated that Dhoni believed in his abilities despite him being in and out of the team and that MSD's backing ultimately led to him becoming one of the best white-ball cricketers in the world.

"The young cricketers in the current generation today, be it Shubman Gill or Sanju Samson, they should also get similar kind of support," Gambhir told Sports Tak as per India Today.

"And now when Rohit is a senior, I expect him to give backing to youngsters. Rohit is a prime example of how a player can become a phenomenal cricketer, if he has good backing.

"One good thing about MS (Dhoni) was that he always kept Rohit in the talks, even if he was not part of the team. He never let him get sidelined," he added.

"I expect Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma to groom the youngsters in the same way in which M.S. Dhoni groomed them."

After making this debut in 2007, Rohit was languishing in the middle-order with consistency being his Achilles heel. Dhoni seemingly took note of Rohit's hidden talent and gave him a long rope. He then promoted Rohit as opener in 2013 and the right-hander hasn't looked back since.