The newly appointed India men’s cricket team head coach, Gautam Gambhir, revealed his relationship with Virat Kohli during a press conference on Monday. The press conference revolved around various topics, but the revelation of Gambhir about his rapport with former Indian captain Virat Kohli was the major takeaway.
Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli are both Delhi batters, and Gautam is seven-year-old Kohli’s senior. They both contributed significantly to the 2011 World Cup, but the clash began in 2013. Gambhir and Kohli were involved in a clash of words after the RCB skipper was out. These clashes grew bigger, and they were seen in IPL matches even in 2023. But, in 2024, Gautam and Virat were seen hugging each other on the field.
Both Gambhir and Virat previously had disagreements on various topics, which were visible during IPL matches. But the long-term controversial relationship has come to an end, as Gautam Gambhir said, “They both share a good bond off the field and will continue to share that, and on the field, everyone fights for their jersey and wants to come back to the dressing room winning.”.
He mentioned that his relationship with Virat is not meant for TRP (television ratings). “It’s the relationship between two mature individuals, and though we had past disagreements, now we are on the same page, and the goal is to make India proud," Gambhir mentioned.
After the retirement of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the burden of players like Jasprit Bumrah will increase, and it is crucial to keep Bumrah fresh as he is an asset to the Indian cricket team. Though Virat and Rohit were on a break after the World Cup, Gautam has asked them to come back as he wants Virat and Rohit to play the most number of games and continue playing ahead as they have shown their potential in the 2024 World Cup. The former captain Virat has communicated to BCCI about his relationship with Gautam Gambhir, saying that he will start a new phase of the relationship with a clean slate. Gautam also said that “he has lots of chats with Kohli, and the relationship is not public.”
The first upcoming assignment for Virat and Gambhir together is the T20 and ODI series against Sri Lanka. Both Gambhir and Virat should forget their past disagreements and focus on making India proud.
