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Team India’s newly appointed Head Coach Gautam Gambhir addressed the media on Monday while leaving for Sri Lanka tour as his first task. He answered several questions put up by the media and took a positive approach while representing as a Head Coach.
Gautam Gambhir spills beans on his bonding with Virat Kohli
The past between Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli is open to all. Rather, it was amongst the major concerns raised when the former decided to take over the position of Head Coach after the T20 World Cup conclusion. Gambhir addressed the media emphasizing that his relationship with the star batsman Kohli is a private matter and not a topic for television rating.
“Good for the TRP, but my relationship is private. What kind of a relationship do I share with Virat Kohli… It’s between two mature individuals. On the field, everyone has the right to fight for their jersey and return to a winning dressing room. But at the moment, we’re representing India, representing 140 crore Indians, and I’m sure we will be on the same page and try to make India proud. I share a very good relationship off the field and will continue to do that. But yes, to make it more public, what kind of a relationship… I think it’s between two individuals,” said Gambhir.
Despite their past disagreements which were notably visible during their encounters in IPL, Gambhir and Kohli will now collaborate as a part of Indian Cricket team. Speculations about Kohli’s participation in the SL tour were put to rest when he made a surprising decision to join the tour, a move that was unexpected given the past dynamics of his relationship with Gambhir.
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Complex relations in the past
Kohli and Gambhir have had a complex relationship over the years. Initially, teammates and later competitors on the cricket field, their interactions have sometimes been marked by tension and differences in opinion, particularly during their playing days for the Indian cricket team. However, both players have also shown mutual respect at times, acknowledging each other’s cricketing abilities and contributions to the sport.
Gambhir’s press statement ahead of the Sri Lanka tour emphasized the team’s preparedness and his optimism about their performance.
Gambhir’s statement on his relationship with Kohli highlighted their mutual respect and professional understanding despite any past differences or competition. Gambhir wasn’t willing to give any headlines and emphasized working for the common cause of working with his former teammate.
“I’ve had a lot of chats with him… we’ve shared messages after my appointment, but as I said, the most important thing is we both are going to be working extremely hard to make India proud. And that’s our job. It’s not important what we discussed, how many chats have I had with him, after my announcement or before my announcement or during the game, after the games. Sometimes, just because we want headlines, it’s not important,” added Gambhir.
