Virat Kohli left in the dark ahead of decision to appoint Gautam Gambhir as India’s head coach

Former Indian skipper Virat Kohli was apparently left in the dark before the BCCI decided to hire Gautam Gambhir as the national team coach. The two stars have had a tumultuous past relationship with their clash during IPL 2023 being one of the most spoken-about moments. 

According to a source in the BCCI heard saying Hindustan Times “There is enough time for the two to have conversation over the table. But it was important for the BCCI to look at the big picture with many youngsters likely to feature in the coming years”

Kohli has recently taken retirement from the T20I format. The 35-year-old scored 76 in the finals of the T20 World Cup 2024 and was given the Player of the Match award. The former Indian skipper along with Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah is expected to miss the upcoming Sri Lankan series. 

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir wants former KKR star as part of new coaching setup

Childhood coach confident of Gautam Gambhir’s success 

Sanjay Bharadwaj the childhood coach of Gautam Gambhir has backed his ward to become successful as the Indian team coach. The former Indian opener has signed a deal till the end of the 2027 ODI World Cup. 

During his chat with news agency PTI, Sanjay Bharadwaj said "He has played with Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in the past. Long back, he had once given his 'Man of the Match' to Virat. That shows his golden heart. He told me long back that Rohit Sharma will become a great player one day. This was when Rohit was not among the runs and needed some encouragement. His observation about Rohit proved accurate”

Gautam Gambhir’s former coach also said “If Gautam ever feels that something is right for the team, he will be firm on that decision. Gautam plays to win. He knows what to do and focuses on having a set team combination. He doesn't believe in favouritism; the only thing that is his favourite is cricket”

The Indian team during the current series is being coached by former Indian star VVS Laxman. On Wednesday the men in blue beat the Zimbabwean side by 23 -runs to take a 2-1 lead in the series and inch closer to a series win.