Ever since Virat Kohli retired from Tests last year, there has been a lot of speculation regarding his working relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir. The duo have not been spotted interacting with each other during practice sessions or in the dressing room. The rumour mills further gathered steam recently after it was reported that the duo didn’t speak to each other during the training sessions on the eve of the ODI series opener against England in Edgbaston.
The dressing room atmosphere has come under much scrutiny of late, and the retirements of Virat and Rohit Sharma from Tests further complicated the matter. Moreover, there has also been outside pressure on the two, and questions continue to be asked about their place for the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Ahead of the first ODI against England, India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was also spotted chatting with Kohli. When the former India captain was having a net session, Gambhir was seen observing from close quarters; however, he didn’t say anything to the batter, and it was Kotak who approached Kohli for a conversation.
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However, on Thursday, Kotak dismissed all rumours, saying Kohli and Gambhir are on talking terms and there’s nothing in their relationship. He also added that he doesn’t understand where the rumours stem from.
“Virat and Gautam, they must have talked 10 times today. I don’t think they need a bridge,” Kotak told reporters in the post-match press conference after the second ODI.
When asked about his conversation with Kohli, Kotak said, “And Virat, basically, before going into batting, he talked about certain things. Because, Virat, I honestly say, as a batting coach, till the time he doesn’t feel anything, or if he doesn’t see anything, his batting shouldn’t be disturbed. And we shouldn’t say much, the way he bats.
“But, mainly, how is his footwork going? Certain things, he asked me before. And then, after the nets, he was talking. Apart from that, what you are saying, I don’t know, where do the rumours come from, but they do come,” he added.
India’s loss
England levelled the three-match series on Thursday after registering a four-wicket win over India in Cardiff. Joe Root played an unbeaten knock of 99 as England chased down the target of 234 with four wickets in hand and 35 balls to spare.
Earlier, Virat and Shreyas Iyer hit fifties, but India was bundled out for 233 inside 44 overs. Speaking about the game, Kotak said that Virat relayed a message to the dressing room and head coach Gambhir during the batting innings, saying the short-pitch deliveries are not going through on the sluggish pitch of Cardiff.
“Virat, if you have seen, while he was batting only, he has sent a message also to us, and he has told the head coach that the short balls are actually not going through. So that we knew,” said Kotak.
With the series level at 1-1, India and England will now play the series decider on Sunday, July 19 at the Lord’s Cricket Ground in London.