Gautam Gambhir's 'class' act after Virat Kohli scored his 50th century ends misconception: 'Don't say there's any tiff'
Gautam Gambhir has followed Virat Kohli's game with precision and carefulness.
A couple of months ago, Ravichandran Ashwin had said that Gautam Gambhir is a very misunderstood person. Due to his so-called serious demeanour, Ashwin pointed out how people often don't realise that Gambhir, the new India head coach, is more than what meets the eye. A true fighter in every sense of the word, Gambhir is a two-time World Cup winner for India, and yet, most of this misinterpretation about him stems from his history with Virat Kohli. From teammates to rivals in the IPL and now as a coach and player, Gambhir and Kohli have come full circle, but despite hugging it out and burying the ghost of their past, fans keep looking for, as Virat put in, 'masala' from the two.
That Gambhir doesn't dislike Kohli – never did – stems of this unheard tale regarding the former India opener. Piyush Chawla, the veteran India spinner, had revealed that Gambhir takes Kohli and his cricket very seriously. During the 2023 World Cup, seven months removed from their infamous IPL bust-up, Kohli enjoyed a stellar tournament, scoring over 700 runs, including three centuries. No. 48, 49 and 50, Kohli surpassed the legendary Sachin Tendulkar to reach the pinnacle in ODIs, but barring him and the Indian team, if someone eagerly took note of Kohli's knock it was Gambhir, who was part of the broadcasting team.
"I and Gauti bhai were doing a show. A question was asked 'When Virat completed his 50th century, which bowled did he take the single off? I couldn't answer it, but Gambhir did it. And he's like 'Now don't say there's any tiff. Gauti bhai is all class. He is one of the best," Chawla said on Shubhankar Mishra's YouTube channel.
Gambhir's qualities described by Chawla
That this story has been verified by no one but Chawla adds to its authenticity. He has known Gambhir for years. The two have won India World Cups together, represented India A and were teammates at Kolkata Knight Riders, winning two titles as well – in 2012 and 2014. Highlighting some spectacular traits about Gambhir, Chawla's admiration of the man is a walking testament as to how looks can be deceiving. Chawla didn't say anything that you haven't heard before but the similarities is what makes Gambhir a gem of a human being and the type of coach that helps a player flourish.
"You know what the best thing about Gauti bhai is? He will motivate you, give you free hand and the way he backs you. If he sees that talent in you, he will back you even if you don't do anything in all 14 games. If you can do it, he will back you which is a brilliant thing for any player," Chawla added.
"I played under him for 4-5 years – in fact we played India and India A together – the way he appears on the ground, aggressive and all, off it he is equally polite. And the amount of fun I have interacting with him it just amazing. Gauti bhai, one of the best humans I have come across."
