Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli have always been in the headlines. According to rumours, there has been a rift between the two following a heated exchange after the end of the Tata Indian Premier League (IPL) match between Lucknow Supergiants and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). Both the Delhi boys share the dressing room, with Gambhir being the head coach of the Indian team.
Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Devjit Saikia has shared his insight on the ongoing rumors regarding the relationship between head coach Gautam Gambhir and two senior-most cricketers, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. After retiring from Test and T20I, both the cricketers now play only one format, which is ODI.
Devjit Saikia sheds light on Gambhir vs Virat-Rohit controversy
There were rumors that Gambhir was behind the Test retirement of Kohli and Rohit last year. As fans and former cricketers questioned the timing and whether both were told they were no longer needed in the traditional format of the game. Rohit Sharma was made the ODI captain after winning the ICC Champions Trophy. This was a shocking decision for many people.
Gambhir and the selectors made it clear that there would be no ‘superstar culture’, with even India’s biggest names having to play domestic cricket to be selected in the team.
However, Devjit Saikia rejected all the claims outright. Speaking on India Today Podcast, he said, “I have never seen them fighting. They are in a very good cordial relationship.”
He was also asked about the infamous fight between the two in the IPL 2023 edition, Devjit Saikia said, “I haven’t watched it. IPL? Maybe I didn’t watch that match because I was with them when they were representing the country. So, IPL: It’s not possible to watch every match.”
When asked if Gautam Gambhir wanted to drop Kohli from the team, Saikia gave a befitting reply, saying, “There may be such a perception, but Virat Kohli is always in the team. Gautam Gambhir is also there. We are seeing the results. Have you seen that Virat Kohli is not a part of the team?”
Saikia also talked about whether Virat Kohli’s Test retirement was also affected, he replied, “Nobody can force a player of Virat Kohli’s stature to change decisions and take decisions. He is at that level. He is no ordinary player; he is a great player in Indian cricket. Nobody can force him to take decisions unless he wants to. The board will not interfere in any player’s career,” Saikia said.
Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma are legendary players of Indian cricket.
When Saikia was asked about rumors that Gambhir did not want Kohli and Rohit in the ODI setup, he said, “A lot of people also write nonsense. We cannot comment on nonsense. We do not see any such things. These things were never brought up in any meeting.”
Kohli had a sensational home tour against South Africa and New Zealand. In the series against the Proteas, he won the Player of the Series award by scoring 302 runs and also scored 240 runs against the Kiwis. Rohit Sharma performed brilliantly in Australia, scoring a half-century and a century in the series.
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