Will Gambhir, Kohli forget the abrasive past and start afresh

Gautam Gambhir’s task as coach of the Indian cricket team will be fraught with challenges, one of which will be his relationship with the senior players.

There is no cricket follower who doesn’t know of the ugly altercation that ensued in the Indian Premier League (IPL) between Gambhir and Virat Kohli, two players who were groomed in the rough and tough cricket environment of Delhi.

In IPL 2013, the two almost came to blows after Gambhir gave Kohli a sendoff following his dismissal with only Rajat Bhatia, another Delhi boy, acting as buffer and ceasing fire. 

Bhatia was then playing under Gambhir for Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR).

In 2015 again, Gambhir’s animated celebrations caused an altercation between the two of the greatest players Delhi has produced.

If one thought the emotions were only on field and that things would improve once Gambhir, the senior and older of the two, would quit playing, they were wrong.

Gambhir, as mentor of Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) in IPL 2023, backed his player Naveen-ul-Haq when the Afghanistan international picked up a verbal argument with Kohli. Gambhir himself got involved in heated exchange.

That incident is still fresh in everyone’s mind and between this one and those in the last decade, there were also comments made by Gambhir questioning Kohli’s captaincy.

In a 2019 interview with Khurram Habib, a Hindustan Times correspondent, Gambhir had said, “I’d say again that he has been very fortunate to remain RCB skipper. He is a fabulous player, best in the world, but as captain he is very fortunate. One gets seven years captaining RCB, without winning.”

Kohli hasn’t won a single IPL title. He has had successes as India captain, most notably, India’s first ever Test series triumph in Australia but ICC trophies eluded him even though he reached the cusp of it on occasions. His only ICC trophy as skipper to date remains the Under-19 World Cup in 2008.

The two shared a brotherly bond, best exemplified with the 83-run partnership for the third wicket in the 2011 World Cup final which resurrected Indian innings after a poor start due to loss of Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar. That partnership laid the platform for India’s first ODI Cricket World Cup win in 28 years.  

But something happened after that. Not sure what it was. But there was something.

It can be assumed, and let me add that this is merely an assumption made through observation and without any information from dressing room, that young Kohli’s proximity to the then India skipper MS Dhoni may have played a role. Gambhir and Sehwag were great team men, no doubt, but there was some friction between them and Dhoni. Kohli’s chumminess with MSD may have had a role to play.

Needless to say that all the unsavoury incidents of the last 10 years will be in the subconscious when the two meet each other in the dressing room. There will be pleasantries, yes, but beneath the veneer of friendliness, there will be some tension.

It will be Gambhir’s job to ensure that the past is buried and it will also be Kohli’s job to ensure that he lets the coach have his space.

It is easier said than done because Rohit Sharma, another one off the latch, will also have to be dealt with.

Both Kohli and Sharma are stars who can carry the Indian team on their own brand names, but Gambhir says he dislikes a culture where individuals are worshipped and wants a culture of teamwork.

Rajat Bhatia, who has seen Gambhir and Kohli from up close, and has played under the captaincy of the former in Delhi and KKR says that he hopes India prosper with him at helm.

“I have played under his captaincy at the domestic level, for Delhi, and in IPL for KKR. But I have never played under him as coach. So hard to say what he will bring as coach. But I am sure he has matured over the years, having played all formats and done well in them and having also mentored the team,” Bhatia told www.thedelhijunction.com.

Bhatia, who is a veteran of domestic cricket, and has served Delhi and Rajasthan besides KKR and Rajasthan Royals, was part of the Delhi team that last won Ranji Trophy under Gambhir’s captaincy in 2007-08.

He says that as coach, Gambhir has to be careful with his expressiveness.

“As coach, it is different. You can be aggressive as a player but not as a coach. He has been a mentor both with LSG and KKR, and not a coach. He likes to bring his own team with himself. The question is whether the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) will listen to him and accede to his requests.”

The first mission for Gambhir, who is India's coach for three-and-a-half years, will be the World Test Championship 2025 (WTC25). 

Tags : India cricket, Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli