Gautam Gambhir's relations with Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli turn tense; BCCI upset as India head coach cornered: Report

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Let’s not beat around the bush. Indian cricket is no longer the same without Kohli, Rohit. They may have drawn the Test series in England and lifted the Asia Cup, but the lack of star power has slightly taken the sheen off this Indian team. Hence, when they returned for the Australia matches in October, ODIs regained popularity. And the fact that Kohli and Rohit, for two straight matches, have performed brilliantly – Rohit with scores of 73, 121 not out, 57, and Kohli’s unbeaten 74 and 135 – it’s almost as if the old times have returned. The crowd is having a ball, the social media is in a frenzy, and Ro-Ko seems to be in its element.
However, despite good vibes, the atmosphere inside the Indian ODI dressing room remains a concern. A report in Dainik Jagran states that while things look absolutely fine in India’s T20I and Test setups, the presence of Kohli and Rohit has changed the dynamics in ODIs. As per the report, head coach Gautam Gambhir no longer shares the same relationship with two batting stalwarts of Indian cricket, their equation turning borderline cold.
“The relations between Gautam Gambhir and senior players Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma aren’t as good as they should be, and there could be a meeting regarding the future of the two players. This could take place either in Raipur or Visakhapatnam – venues for the second and third ODIs,” Jagran quoted a BCCI source as saying.
In fact, the relations have turned so tense between Ro-Ko and the decision-makers that during the Australia ODIs, Rohit and the BCCI chairman of selectors, Ajit Agarkar, were not on good terms. It was the same series where Kohli, Rohit made their much-awaited return to Indian cricket for the first time since March, and to a certain extent, even excelled in their comebacks. The same is true for Kohli and Gambhir, who have had very limited conversation during the ongoing South Africa ODIs.
BCCI unhappy with excessive Gambhir bashing on social media
“During the Australia series, Rohit and Agarkar did not interact at all. Between then and now, even Kohli and Gambhir haven’t spoken much to each other. Besides, the manner in which fans of Kohli and Rohit are attacking Gambhir on social media has made the BCCI upset,” the report added.
Gambhir and Kohli’s bittersweet relations go back a long way. The two played a lot of cricket together for India and Delhi before their two controversial bust-ups in the IPL: 2013 and 2023. However, since Gambhir took over as head coach, the two seemed to have mended their ways. Or so it seemed. The two even came together in a video shared by the BCCI last year. Kohli and Gambhir could be seen sharing laughs regularly… until they didn’t. Those heartwarming visuals decreased over time, more so after Kohli and Rohit announced their retirements from Test cricket within a week of each other.