The newly appointed India head coach, Gautam Gambhir, who commences his tenure with the upcoming tour of Sri Lanka, discussed his strong rapport with senior batsman Virat Kohli, expressing that they maintain a very positive relationship outside of the field and intend to uphold it.
During his inaugural press conference as the head coach of the Indian team, Gambhir remarked that the relationship between himself and Kohli is “between two mature individuals,” beneficial for TRP ratings but not suitable for public consumption.
What Gambhir said on Kohli
“Good for the TRP, but my relationship is not public. What kind of relationship do I share with Virat Kohli, I think it is between two mature individuals,” Gambhir told media-persons.
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“On the field, everyone has got the right to fight for their own team, for their own jersey, and want to come back in a winning dressing room. But, at the moment, I think you are representing India and representing 140 crore Indians and I am sure we are going to be on the same page and try and make India proud. I share a very good relationship off the field and we will continue to do that. But yes, to make it more public what kind of a relationship (we have) I think it is between two individuals,” he said.
Kohli and Gambhir engaged in a disagreement following an IPL match in 2013, during Gambhir’s tenure as the Kolkata Knight Riders captain. Subsequently, another incident occurred in 2023 when Gambhir was serving as the mentor for the Lucknow Super Giants in the IPL. The two individuals ultimately exchanged words fervently before being intervened by fellow players and coaches to prevent the situation from escalating.
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During IPL 2024, there was an incident where Gambhir and Kohli engaged in a verbal exchange, necessitating the intervention of players from both teams to defuse the situation. Initially, Gambhir removed an LSG player who was conversing with Kohli. Despite this, in public settings, the two maintained a cordial relationship.
“How many chats have I had with him, after my announcement or before my announcement, during the games, after the games – I think sometimes just because we want headlines – it is not important. The most important thing right now is that we both have got to be working extremely hard to make India proud. And that is our job. He is a thorough professional, he is a world-class athlete, he is a world-class player. I have always said that. I have huge respect for him as a player and it is going to continue. And hopefully we can work together really well,” Gambhir added.
