BCCI's Lack of Discussion with Virat Kohli Prior to Gautam Gambhir's Appointment: REPORTS

Team India has named Gautam Gambhir as its new head coach. After the end of India's tour of Zimbabwe, Gambhir will assume command. Gambhir’s first duty as the new coach will be the series against Sri Lanka, which begins on July 27. It is anticipated that Gautam Gambhir will eye glory with the Indian cricket team, which recently lifted the ICC T20 World Cup 2024 under Rahul Dravid. 

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Reports suggest Virat Kohli was not consulted before BCCI’s appointment of Gautam Gambhir as head coach

Officially confirmed on Tuesday, Gautam Gambhir's much awaited arrival as head coach of the Indian cricket team after former opener Rahul Dravid. Later this month Gambhir will join the team for the forthcoming white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, according to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Comprising Ashok Malhotra, Jatin Paranjape, and Sulakshana Naik, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) of the BCCI unanimously suggested Gambhir as head coach.

At 42 years old, Gambhir rises to become India's youngest head coach in cricket history. Hindustan Times reports that before the BCCI announced Gambhir's appointment, top batter Virat Kohli was not addressed. Many on-field incidents especially the one during an IPL 2023 game in Lucknow highlights the well-documented heated friendship between Kohli and Gambhir.

The two were seen embracing several times during IPL 2024, despite their earlier strife. But as Kohli is no longer part of the T20I team, the BCCI did not ask for his viewpoint. According to the source, the BCCI official quoted: 

“There is enough time for the two to have conversations over the table. But it was important for the BCCI to look at the big picture with many youngsters likely to feature in the coming years,”

After the Twenty20 World Cup, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, the captain of the Indian team, both stated that they will no longer play Twenty20 Internationals. Reportedly, the BCCI kept star all-rounder Hardik Pandya informed of Gambhir's appointment. Pandya is currently leading the race to become India's next Twenty20 International captain.

A lot of eyes will be on Rohit Sharma and Gambhir's friendship because Rohit supposedly wanted Rahul Dravid to stay on as head coach. Not only that, but Rohit and Kohli reportedly asked the BCCI for long time off, so they won't be available for Gambhir's first series as head coach, which is against Sri Lanka. The three Twenty20 Internationals and three One-Day Internationals (ODIs) between Sri Lanka and India are set to begin on July 28.