India batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has dismissed speculation over any communication gap between Virat Kohli and head coach Gautam Gambhir, insisting the two had spoken “10 times” during the second ODI against England at Cardiff on Thursday.
Asked if he had become a bridge between Kohli and Gambhir following speculation over their interactions during training in Birmingham, Kotak dismissed the suggestion.
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“Virat and Gautam, they must have talked 10 times today. I don’t think he needs a bridge. Virat, basically, before going into batting, talked about certain things. Honestly, as a batting coach, till the time he doesn’t feel anything or he doesn’t see anything, his batting shouldn’t be disturbed. You shouldn’t say much because of the way he bats. Mainly, about how his footwork was going and certain things, he asked me before. Then after the nets, we were talking. Apart from that, what you’re saying, I don’t know where the rumours come from, but they do come,” Kotak said after India’s defeat on Thursday.
His comments came days after television visuals from India’s practice session in Birmingham ahead of the first ODI triggered speculation on social media over the relationship between Kohli and Gambhir. Reports suggested the pair had avoided interacting during training, reviving discussion around a perceived rift between them despite both having publicly maintained that there were no issues.
The two had shared a widely publicised on-field altercation during an IPL match in 2023 when Gambhir was the mentor of Lucknow Super Giants. However, they were later seen embracing during IPL 2024 after Gambhir returned to Kolkata Knight Riders.
During his introductory press conference as India head coach in July 2024, Gambhir had dismissed public curiosity over his relationship with Kohli. “Good for the TRP, but my relationship is not public. What kind of relationship I share with Virat Kohli, I think it is between two mature individuals,” Gambhir had said, adding that whatever happened on the field stayed there. “On the field, everyone has got the right to fight for their own team, their own jersey, and want to come back in a winning dressing room.”
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Kohli had reiterated his desire to play the 2027 ODI World Cup in May this year, saying he wants to continue playing as long as he can contribute meaningfully to the team. The former India captain stressed that he has nothing left to prove, adding he would only carry on if both he and the team believed he still added value.
“I’ve been asked so many times, ‘Do you want to play ’27?’ Why would I leave my home, get my stuff over, and be like, ‘I don’t know what I want.’ Of course, if I’m playing, I want to play cricket, I want to carry on. Playing a World Cup for India is amazing.”
“If I can add value to the environment that I’m a part of and the environment feels like I can add value, I’ll be seen. If I’m made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I’m not in that space,” he said on the RCB Podcast in May.
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On the match itself, Kotak said Kohli had relayed important information from the middle about the nature of the Cardiff surface, allowing the dressing room to better understand the conditions.
“When there is double pace or double bounce, it’s more about adapting better. Everybody knew because Virat, while he was batting, sent a message to us and also told the head coach that the short balls were actually not going through. So, we knew. Personally, I felt that Washington’s injury happened when he ran the first run towards mid-off. It looked like a hamstring injury, and it looks like a bad injury. Then, the next ball, he got out. From there, we again wanted a partnership, but unfortunately, we lost Axar and Shivam.”
The right-hander made 65 before he was dismissed top-edging a delivery to Jofra Archer. He has looked in excellent touch in ODI cricket ever since retiring from Tests in May 2025, having made hundreds against South Africa at home in December 2025 and against New Zealand at Indore in January 2026.
Kohli’s next assignment, post the third and final ODI against England at Lord’s on Sunday, would be the three-match ODI series against West Indies at home in September.
