E-Paper
“You’ve had more altercations than I have”: Gautam Gambhir reminds Virat Kohli
Team India Head Coach Gautam Gambhir and former skipper Virat Kohli share mutual admiration for each other in a cozy chat.
In a video released by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), India team head coach Gautam Gambhir and ex-captain Virat Kohli sit down for a conversation, which begins with Kohli talking about the duo coming a long way and “putting an end to all the masala”. It looks like the Delhi Boys have shed past the infamous episodes of altercations between them with the interaction that was posted by the national team’s social handles with an apt caption that reads-“when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object-cricket’s greatest paradox, personified!”
Since Gambhir’s appointment as Team India Head Coach, the internet has been buzzing with theories surrounding the relationship shared by the two. They had infamously clashed following an IPL match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in 2013 and most recently, following the Lucknow Super Giants (then mentored by Gambhir) and RCB match in 2023. However, in a heart-warming display of respect, both had hugged it out during IPL 2024, signifying a much-awaited exchange of olive branches.
The almost twenty-minute back and forth dotted with clips of their finest innings, finds them sharing their experiences of representing the national team and the importance that test cricket holds in their professional journeys. Gambhir talks about Virat’s famed 183 against Pakistan as “the best one-day innings played by an Indian” and goes on to say, “you’ve done some really special things…and most importantly for me, how you’ve taken Indian cricket forwards is the legacy what you have left for the next generation to follow.”
Amidst all the cricketing tidbits shared by two prolific batters, there is also a fun banter that ensues surrounding altercations which have been synonymous with both. When asked by Kohli, if on-field alterations deterred Gambhir or pushed him more into the zone, the latter quips, “You’ve had more altercations than I have. I think you can answer that question better than I can.” Virat, in a fit of laughter, says, “I am just looking for validation. I am not saying that it’s wrong, I want someone to say 'yes, that is the right way’.”
Who would have thought that the Delhi Boys, defined by their on-field aggressive personas, would have a conversation about pacifying and focusing? In an intimate exchange, Gambhir shares how Virat resorted to whispering ‘Om Namah Shivay’ before each delivery and him listening to Hanuman Chalisa to focus.
Netizens believe that the vibe is of pure warmth and respect between the two as it ends with both taking a friendly and funny dig at skipper Rohit Sharma, teasing the next episode which would see him join coach Gambhir for a conversation.
- By Agnideb Bandyopadhyay
