Rift between Gautam Gambhir & Virat Kohli? BCCI Secretary opens up

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) Secretary Devajit Saikia has opened up on the relationship between the Indian talismanic batter Virat Kohli and the head coach Gautam Gambhir over the past few months.

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Notably, there have been multiple reports that the duo hasn’t been on good terms. The report further adds that the head coach is keen on replacing the batting stalwart with any young player ahead of the ICC ODI World Cup 2027.

However, Devajit Saikia quashed all the claims and reports about differences between the duo, stating that they share a good and cordial relationship, adding that he has been with them while representing the nation.

“I have never seen them fighting. They’re in a very good, cordial relationship, because I’m with them when they’re representing the country,” Devajit Saikia said while speaking on the India Today podcast.

Most recently, the BCCI and the Indian selection committee, led by Ajit Agarkar, appointed Shubman Gill as the new captain of the ODI set-up, keeping the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind. Chief selector Ajit Agarkar also stated during a press conference that both Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli were non-committal about the upcoming ODI World Cup.

Meanwhile, Saikia also addressed rumours surrounding the BCCI and the team management allegedly trying to push Virat Kohli out of the national setup, making it clear nobody can force a player of Kohli’s stature out of the team.

“Nobody can force a player of the stature of Virat Kohli to change or take a decision,” he added.

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For the unversed, Kohli has been in exceptional form in the last few ODIs, scoring 616 runs in his last seven innings at an average of 123.2 and a strike rate of 108.64.

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