India’s Virat Kohli with head coach Gautam Gambhir (PTI Photo/Kunal Patil) Speculations about the equation between India head coach Gautam Gambhir and senior batsman Virat Kohli have been refusing to die ever since Gambhir took charge of the national team. Their well-documented on-field clashes during the Indian Premier League continued to fuel chatter in the cricketing community with hints that the two are still not quite on the same page. However, these claims have now been strongly denied by BCCI secretary Devajit Saikia, who rubbished reports of any lingering tension between the two senior figures.
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“I have never seen them (Kohli and Gambhir) fight. They have a very good cordial relationship,” Saikia said on the India Today podcast. Referring to their IPL history, Saikia added, “IPL? Maybe I didn’t see that match because I was with them when they represented the country.” Gambhir’s tenure as head coach coincided with significant phases in Kohli’s career. The former Indian captain has announced his retirement from Test cricket in 2025, a decision that has sparked widespread debate. Kohli’s place in India’s ODI plans for the 2027 FIFA World Cup has also been heavily scrutinized recently, although much of that discussion has subsided due to his excellent form. At 37, Kohli is enjoying what many consider to be one of the richest purple patches of his ODI career, hitting three centuries and a score of 93 in his last six appearances for India. Questions surrounding the Gambhir-Kohli relationship have also been linked to the BCCI’s tougher stance on senior players who feature in domestic competitions when they are not on international duty. Over the past year, Kohli has returned to both the Ranji Trophy and the Vijay Hazare Trophy after long absences. Despite persistent rumors of friction, Gambhir and Kohli have already combined successfully at the highest level and played a key role in India’s 2025 Champions Trophy triumph, an ICC title that has highlighted unity rather than discord in the set-up.
