"Its not important what we discuss, good for the TRPs"- Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli relationship
Published - 22 Jul 2024, 10:45 AM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 01:16 AM
India head coach Gautam Gambhir has spoken his heart out on his relationship with Virat Kohli. After being appointed as India's head coach, there were rumors about Gambhir's past relationship with Kohli affecting the team environment.
However, the former India opener settled all the rumors and stated that both he and Kohli will have to work hard together to win matches for India.
Gautam Gambhir speaks on his relationship with Virat Kohli
During a press conference ahead of India's tour of Sri Lanka, Gambhir answered all the queries of the reporters and journalists. He said that his relationship with Kohli is very good for the TRPs but doesn't want to make it public. He adds that he shares a good relationship with Kohli and has already talked to him.
"Very good for the TRPs (his run-ings with Kohli in the IPL) but my relationship with him is not public. On the field, everyone will fight for their own team. At the moment, we are representing India. I share a very good relationship. I have had lots of chances to talk to him," Gautam Gambhir said in the pre-departure press conference alongside Ajit Agarkar.
"It is not important what we discuss. The most important thing is we both have to work hard to make India proud. He is a thorough professional, a world-class player, and that is going to continue," Gambhir lauds Kohli for being a thorough professional.
Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli's relationship over the years
Both Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli are originally from Delhi and are known to be aggressive. Both have shared a bitter relationship over the past few years. In 2013, they got into each other's face for the first time during an IPL 2013 match between Royal Challengers Bangalore and Kolkata Knight Riders.
In that game, Kohli was RCB's captain while Gambhir was leading KKR. Both the legendary players were seen to be moving aggressively towards each other before being separated by another Delhi player Rajat Bhatia, who was playing for KKR at that time.
It took 10 more years for both Kohli and Gambhir to be involved into another heated argument again. After the match between Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL 2023, Gambhir was seen to be moving aggressively towards Kohli and both had a heated argument on the ground. The altercation was an extension of Kohli's on-field argument with LSG fast bowler Naveen-ul-Haq. While Kohli was playing for RCB during this match, Gambhir was LSG's mentor.
However, both the players shared a warm hug with each other during an IPL 2024 match between Kolkata Knight Riders and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, thus bringing this bitter rivalry to an end.
Gautam Gambhir's first assignment as India's head coach will be India's white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, in which the team will play three T20Is and three ODIs against the home team. Having already retired from the T20I format, Kohli is in the squad for the ODIs only.
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India National Cricket Team Sri Lanka national cricket team Gautam Gambhir Virat Kohli IND vs SL SL vs IND india vs sri lanka Sri Lanka vs India India tour of Sri Lanka 2024
