The equation between head coach Gautam Gambhir and former India captain Virat Kohli has always been a huge talking point. The two have been involved in a few tussles in the Indian Premier League (IPL), which led to widespread speculation about whether they would get along after Gambhir was roped in as the head coach of the men’s senior team. Everything seemed rosy at first; however, the situation soon went south after the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. The poor series led Kohli to retire from Tests and play only ODIs.
Devajit Saikia issued a response when asked about the equation between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir (AFP)
The last few months have seen the debate over the relationship between Kohli and Gambhir rise once again. The two have not been spotted speaking to each other during the nets session, and after the first ODI against New Zealand, Kohli was also seen seemingly ignoring the former India opener and walking past him inside the dressing room.
The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Devajit Saikia finally broke his silence on the equation between Gambhir and Kohli, saying the two maintain a cordial relationship and there’s no fighting happening between them.
“I have never seen them fighting. They are in a very good cordial relationship,” Saikia said on the India Today Podcast.
Hearing this response, the anchor quickly reminded the BCCI top official of the infamous fight between the two in the IPL 2023 edition. And to this, Saikia said, “I haven’t seen it. IPL? Maybe I didn’t see that match because I was with them when they were representing the country. So, IPL: watching every match is not possible.”
When asked whether Gautam Gambhir wants Kohli out of the team, Saikia issued a stern response, saying, “That perception might be there, but Virat Kohli is always in the team. Gautam Gambhir is also there. We see the results. Have you seen Virat Kohli not being a part of the team?”
‘Nobody can force Kohli’
The BCCI secretary also busted the myth of Virat Kohli being forced to retire from Tests, saying a player of his stature cannot be forced to make any decision.
“Nobody can force a player of the stature of Virat Kohli to change and make a decision. He is at that level. He is not an ordinary player; he is a legend in Indian cricket. Nobody can force him to make a decision unless he chooses to. The board will not interfere in any player’s career,” said Saikia.
It is also worth mentioning that after the Test retirements of Virat and Rohit Sharma, there was speculation about their future in ODIs, and several reports claimed that the duo might call time on their international career after the series against Australia last year. However, the two senior pros stepped up with the bat, silencing all their critics.
“A lot of people write rubbish also. We cannot comment on rubbish. We don’t see any such things. These things were never brought up in any meetings,” Saikia said when asked what he makes of the reports of Gambhir not wanting Kohli and Rohit in the ODI setup.