Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir have shared a chequered relationship for close to a decade!
The two Indian batsmen have been at it since 2013, and every IPL match between the two ever since then has been personal. Even in the last edition of the tournament, things got heated between Kohli and Gambhir post-match, with both their teammates and the umpires having to separate the two.
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However, in a chat with Sportskeeda, Gambhir commended Kohli for his exceptional fitness levels throughout his career and insisted that all youngsters must take inspiration from the star batsman.
What did Gautam Gambhir say?
Commenting on Kohli's fitness regime, Gambhir said,
Yes, Kohli has worked a lot on his fitness and I would also urge the upcoming players to work on their fitness. It is something which is in your hands. Youngsters must learn from Kohli about fitness.
During the 2023 ODI World Cup in October-November, Kohli and Rohit garnered praise for their outstanding performances, emerging as the top two leading run-scorers with 765 and 597 runs, respectively.
However, Gambhir has called for a shift in perspective among cricket experts, urging them not to exclusively associate terms like passion, energy, and dedication with only the superstar players. Gambhir emphasized that all players representing the nation play with the same level of passion and dedication.
The KKR mentor added,
People talk a lot about passion, energy and dedication. All players in the dressing room have the same passion and dedication. No one has less passion or dedication. Wrong to say that only about Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. All players who play for India will have dedication.
Kohli vs Gambhir: How did it all begin?
On April 11, 2013, RCB took on Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bangalore. KKR's skipper back then was none other than Gambhir. In the second innings, as the Challengers were chasing down the Knights' score of 154 runs, Kohli was dismissed by Laxmipathy Balaji. The moment came at a particularly crucial stage of the game for both sides, as RCB needed 80 runs from 11 overs, and KKR by dismissing their ace batsman had given themselves a huge advantage.
Naturally, all the KKR fielders were ecstatic that Kohli had to leave the pitch and swarmed Balaji for his dismissal. However, as Kohli was returning to the dugout, something was said by Gambhir towards the former RCB skipper that peeved him and made him completely lose his cool.
He charged towards the current LSG mentor, with both hurling some nasty exchanges towards one another. Thankfully the umpires and KKR fielders were able to separate the two before it possibly came to physical blows.
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While Kohli got the last laugh that day with RCB getting the win, the incident is one which carved into the memories of not only both men but even IPL supporters.
What next for Virat Kohli?
Kohli has taken a break from the white-ball series against South Africa and will return to action in the first Test against Proteas at SuperSport Park in Centurion on December 26.
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