Virat Kohli again ignores Gautam Gambhir, Rohit Sharma rescues tight situation

India’s training session before the second ODI against South Africa sparked speculation about tension between head coach Gautam Gambhir and seniors Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. The training session took place at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh International Cricket Stadium in Raipur on Tuesday, December 1.

There has India’s training session before the second ODI against South Africa sparked speculation about tension between head coach Gautam Gambhir and seniors Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. There has been speculation over Virat and Rohit’s future, especially with the 2027 ODI World Cup in India’s long-term planning.

Both players have thrilled fans recently by putting together two consecutive century stands, including one in Australia. India will face South Africa in the second ODI in Raipur on Wednesday.

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Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma Train Intensely Ahead of Second ODI

According to PTI, Virat Kohli was in excellent touch during India’s training session. He took on high-pace throwdowns from Raghu and Nuwan Seneviratne with confidence. Even though a few deliveries beat his bat, he timed most shots and looked fully in control under the floodlights.

Meanwhile, Rohit Sharma also trained with intensity in the nearby net. He matched Kohli’s focus and showed strong commitment despite ongoing discussions about the senior duo’s future, with the 2027 ODI World Cup still far away.

Both experienced batters appeared unconcerned by the outside noise and pushed through a long, demanding net session together. They faced a mix of pace and angles from the throw-down specialists.

Rift Between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir?

During India’s training session, head coach Gautam Gambhir watched closely from between the nets. Virat Kohli finished batting and walked past Gambhir without speaking to him, a moment that drew attention because of the ongoing talk about tension between the two.

Rohit, who finished his session shortly after, stopped briefly to chat with Gambhir before heading inside. This small difference in interaction added to the speculation about a rift between Kohli and Gambhir.

Kohli returned to the team in October, but he has not been seen having any clear conversation with the head coach during training sessions in Australia or in the ongoing series. The two did share a brief hug after Kohli’s century in Ranchi.

Meanwhile, Rohit may still be unhappy about losing the captaincy. His relationship with chief selector Ajit Agarkar is also said to be strained. These moments and reports have kept the spotlight on the dressing-room atmosphere ahead of the second ODI.

India Aim to Seal Series After Dominant Batting Show in Net Session

The rest of the Indian squad also made good use of the practice session. Yashasvi Jaiswal hammered big shots on the leg side, and Rishabh Pant attacked from the moment he entered the nets. With a black-soil pitch expected to help stroke play, all the batters trained with an aggressive mindset.

India posted a total of 349 during the first ODI. Rohit (57) and KL Rahul (60) scored half-centuries, while Virat Kohli (135) smashed his 52nd ODI century. South Africa put up a strong fight through Matthew Breetzke, Marco Jansen, and Corbin Bosch, but India held on to win by 17 runs.

Kuldeep Yadav took four wickets, and Harshit Rana picked up three, helping India take a 1-0 lead in the three-match series. The team will be looking to seal the series during the second match.

Also read: Ravi Shastri indirectly calls Gautam Gambhir a COWARD, demands him to be even more ruthless on Indian players