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'Didn't do anything I shouldn't have done': Gambhir reveals why he shared Man of the Match trophy with Kohli in 2009
Back in 2009, after an ODI game against Sri Lanka, Gambhir had shown a classy gesture towards a 21-year-old Kohli, which most might have forgotten.
Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli may have played together for India for sometime and were both part of the triumphant 2011 World Cup team, but the two together always trigger that flashback of the 2013 IPL spat which has resulted in many believing the presence of a rift between the two stalwarts of Indian cricket. But back in 2009, after an ODI game against Sri Lanka, Gambhir had shown a classy gesture towards a 21-year-old Kohli, which most might have forgotten.
Speaking to Jatin Sapru on his YouTube show 'Over and Out', Gambhir recalled the match where Kohli had scored his maiden international ton - a 114-ball 107. And while Gambhir was given the Player of the Match award for his unbeaten 150, he shared the trophy with young Kohli in a bid to make him feel special and make the moment memorable.
"I didn't do anything I shouldn't have done. You might go on to score 100 international hundreds, which I am sure he will because that's the kind of player he is but you will always remember your first international hundred. I remember my first international hundred that was in Bangladesh and the first ODI hundred against Sri Lanka," he said.
Chasing a mighty target of 316 in Kolkata, India lost both their openers - Virender Sehwag and Sachin Tendulkar - within in fourth over. Gambhir then combined with Kohli to stitch a 224-run stand to help India chase down the target with 11 balls to spare.
"So I wanted to make it special for him and that's not something I or anyone else shouldn't have done. That's the kind of nature I have and that's the kind of player he was. And what he has done, I am absolutely not surprised with what he's achieved, and he'll go on to achieve many more things."
13 years later, Kohli now has 69 more centuries to his name across formats - the second most by an Indian after Sachin Tendulkar and third-highest overall.
