Newly-appointed India men’s cricket team head coach Gautam Gambhir emphasized that his relationship with batting star Virat Kohli is a private matter and not for public spectacle. Known for their on-field altercations, Gambhir and Kohli have shown signs of mending their past rivalry, evidenced by their warm hug and lively chat after a recent IPL match between KKR and Royal Challengers Bangalore.
Gambhir, addressing his first press conference as the head coach, stated, “My relationship with Virat Kohli is between the two of us and not for TRP. We have had lots of discussions, and everyone has the right to fight for their jersey.” He added, “At the moment, we are representing India; we are representing 140 crore Indians. We have an excellent relationship off the field. But it’s not for the public. It’s not important how many chats I’ve had with him during or after the game. He is a thorough professional, a world-class athlete, and hopefully, he will continue that way.”
As the team gears up for the T20 and ODI tour of Sri Lanka starting on July 27, Gambhir highlighted the importance of workload management, particularly for key players like Jasprit Bumrah. With the retirement of senior players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli from T20 Internationals following India’s title triumph in the T20 World Cup last month, Bumrah’s role becomes even more crucial.
“Workload for someone like Jasprit Bumrah is important,” Gambhir remarked. “Now that Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli will play only two formats, I expect them to be available for most games.”
