Virat Kohli‘s well-known, contentious on-field relationship with Gautam Gambhir was never an obstacle in the latter’s appointment as India‘s head coach. As per reports, the BCCI did not consult the star player before confirming Gambhir for the role.
Gautam Gambhir was decisively nominated to be the head coach of India by the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC), comprising Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape, and Sulakshana Naik.
It was just Gambhir and former batter WV Raman who stepped up for the interview. The BCCI confirmed on Tuesday that Gambhir will take over as head coach succeeding Rahul Dravid. The former opener will assume his duties from the Sri Lanka white-ball series.
Gambhir is the youngest head coach in India at 42. He retired from all formats under Kohli’s captaincy in 2016.
Gambhir and Kohli’s relationship on the field has been tumultuous, marked by multiple heated confrontations during IPL matches. The most notorious incident occurred in IPL 2023 when, as Lucknow Super Giants’ mentor, Gambhir nearly came to blows with Kohli after a match against Royal Challengers Bengaluru.
During the recent IPL season, the relationship between Kohli and Gambhir appeared to be mending. Kohli publicly downplayed any suggestions of friction between them, and their embrace on the field was seen as a display of their repaired relationship.
However, the BCCI did not want to take any risks. With Kohli now retired from T20 internationals, the board’s top leadership chose to focus on the future. As a result, the former captain was not consulted.
“With ample time for discussions, the BCCI should consider the bigger picture, as many young players are likely to emerge in the coming years,” a BCCI source commented.
Gambhir’s dynamic with the ODI and Test captain Rohit Sharma is also crucial. Rohit’s strong rapport with head coach Rahul Dravid is widely credited as a major factor in India’s recent success, culminating in their T20 World Cup triumph.
Rohit and Kohli, the star Indian players, have reportedly requested a longer break from the selectors and will not be available for Gambhir’s debut series as the new India head coach. The two batters are expected to return to the team in the home Test series against Bangladesh.
