Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir.
Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir. Image Credit: X

Towards the start of their career, these two Delhi-born, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir had some fabulous partnerships between them. One of those has been historic to Indian cricket, as the 83-run stand between them for the third wicket in the final of the World Cup 2011 helped them to reach near the target in the hunt for the trophy.

But most of the memories between them haven’t been quite sweet. The first altercation one could remember would be during the IPL 2013 when Gambhir spoke a few words after Virat Kohli was dismissed in one of the games.

The recent such incident came during the 2023 season of the 20-over league when the 35-year-old had an intense chat in Lucknow at the end of RCB’s game with the Super Giants, where the former Indian Test captain was involved in an incident with Naveen-ul-Haq. But that was the end for a long time.

Both of them hugged and shook hands during the 2020 season of the league, as Gambhir was later promoted to the head coach role of the Indian team, and now both of them need to work together for the betterment of Indian cricket in the future.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has recently launched the trailer of the interview between the two veteran Delhi players, where Gambhir looked back at the 2014/15 Border Gavaskar Trophy in Australia, where Virat Kohli was the second-highest run-getter of the four-Tests, with 692 runs in eight innings at an average of 86.50 and a strike rate of over 60, celebrating four centuries and one fifty.

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“I remember when you had that bumper series in Australia, where you scored heaps of runs, and that got you in that zone. And for me, it was the same when I played in Napier.”

The current head coach of the Indian team made a terrific 137-run knock facing 436 days and batted for nearly ten sessions to draw the game against New Zealand in Napier.

“When I look back, can I bat for another two and a half days? I don’t think so. I couldn’t have ever done that again, and I have never been in that zone ever in my life after that.” Gautam Gambhir expressed this during the interaction. “So, I can imagine how good that feeling is to be in that zone, and I am sure you (Virat Kohli) must have experienced this many more times as compared to what I have.”

Virat Kohli wondered if the fierce chat with the opponents could take the attention and focus out of the batters, to which the left-handed opening batter made a stunning statement.

“But when you are batting, and you have a bit of a chat with the opposition, did you ever feel like this might carry on to you going out of the zone and you potentially getting out or, it put you in a more motivated space?” Kohli questioned.

“You have had more altercations than I have. I think you can answer that question better than I can.” Gambhir busted into laughter.

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In the end, Virat Kohli funnily mentioned that they would now end the ‘masala chat’ between them, which has been going on for a long time.

“I am just looking for validation. I am not saying that it’s wrong. I want someone to say, ‘Yes, that’s the right way.’ So, here we are!! We’ve come a long way and putting an end to all the masala and all the spice.”

Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir will work together for India as they aim to make a hat-trick of red-ball series win in Australia.