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Virat Kohli walks past Gautam Gambhir without having a word, Rohit Sharma follows but talks to India head coach: Report
Virat Kohli's silent exit past coach Gautam Gambhir after a training session in Raipur before the second ODI sparked speculation about their dynamics.
On the eve of the second ODI against South Africa in Raipur, a brief but noticeable moment unfolded at India’s training session when Virat Kohli walked past head coach Gautam Gambhir without saying a word after completing an intense batting stint under lights.
The incident came at the end of a high-tempo nets session at the Shaheed Veer Narayan Singh Stadium, where both Kohli and Rohit Sharma trained with characteristic focus even as speculation continues to swirl around their futures in the lead-up to the 2027 ODI World Cup.
Kohli looked in commanding touch as he took on throw-down specialists Raghu and Nuwan Seneviratne, who cranked up serious pace at him. He middled the majority of deliveries, occasionally beaten by raw pace but largely dominating the session with crisp stroke-making. Rohit, batting in the adjacent net, also went about his drills with intensity, rarely giving the impression that either of the senior batters is slowing down despite the scrutiny surrounding their long-term plans.
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Gambhir watched the proceedings closely, positioning himself between the two centre nets to observe both senior batters. But once Kohli wrapped up his session, he rested both bats on his shoulders and walked straight past the coach without exchanging a word, according a report in news agency PTI — a moment that did not go unnoticed given the chatter around their professional dynamic in recent days.
Rohit, who followed soon after, paused briefly to speak with Gambhir before heading into the dressing room, offering a contrast that only added to the visual intrigue surrounding Kohli’s silent walk-by.
Away from the spotlight on the senior duo, the rest of the Indian squad trained with equal intensity. Yashasvi Jaiswal sent a flurry of strokes over the leg side boundary, while Rishabh Pant, the last batter to take strike, went hard from ball one. With the surface expected to be conducive to high-scoring strokes on the black-soil pitch, India’s batters approached the nets with an aggressive mindset.
Both Rohit and Kohli got off to a sumptuous start. Rohit smashed 57 off 51 balls while opening the batting. Kohli went on to hit his 52nd ODI century. He finished with 135 off 120 balls in an innings laced with as many as seven sixes. It was mainly due to Rohit and Kohli's brilliance at the top that India managed to put 349 runs on the board, which proved 17 runs too many for the Proteas, who put on a spirited effort despite getting reduced to 11 for 3 in the chase.
India lead the three-match series 1–0 and will look to seal the contest on Wednesday.
