Kohli delivers message to BCCI regarding playing under Gambhir: report

Gautam Gambhir is set to begin his coaching career with the Indian cricket team during the upcoming white-ball series against Sri Lanka, starting on July 27. 

India will face Sri Lanka in three T20Is and three ODIs, with Gambhir aiming for a strong start to his coaching career.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) announced the squads for the tour on Thursday. Suryakumar Yadav has been appointed as the T20I captain, while Rohit Sharma has cut short his vacation to join the ODI squad. 

Virat Kohli, currently vacationing in London, will also participate in the ODI series, as Gambhir has requested the involvement of senior players in his debut series as head coach.

Kohli and Gambhir have had their share of conflicts, notably during the IPL 2023 season, where they clashed during a match between Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) and Lucknow Super Giants (LSG). 

However, they reconciled during IPL 2024 in a match between Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) and RCB, where Kohli hugged Gambhir, resolving their longstanding feud.

According to the local media reports, Kohli has communicated to the BCCI that past issues with Gambhir will not impact their professional relationship.

 “Kohli is believed to have stated that previous issues will not affect their professional relationship in the dressing room. Following the (T20) World Cup final in Barbados, discussions were reportedly held on the matter. Kohli, who, like Gambhir, is from Delhi, assured the concerned parties that he recognises both are working towards the country’s interests and is ready to move on from earlier disagreements,” the report stated.

India's squads for Sri Lanka series

T20I Squad: Suryakumar Yadav (c), Ꮪhubman Gill (vc), Yashasvi Jaiswal, Rinku Singh, Riyan Parag, Rishabh Pant (wk), Sanju Samson (WK), Hardik Pandya, Shivam Dube, Axar Patel, Washington Sundar, Ravi Bishnoi, Arshdeep Singh, Khaleel Ahmed, Mohammed Siraj.

ODI Squad: Rohit Sharma (c), Shubman Gill (vc), Virat Kohli, KL Rahul (WK), Rishabh Pant (wk), Shreyas Iyer, Shivam Dube, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohd. Siraj, Washington Sundar, Arshdeep Singh, Riyan Parag, Axar Patel, Khaleel Ahmed, Harshit Rana.

IND vs SL Schedule:

T20I Series:

1st T20I: July 27 - 6:30 PM - Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
2nd T20I: July 28 - 6:30 PM - Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele
3rd T20I: July 30 - 6:30 PM - Pallekele International Cricket Stadium, Pallekele

ODI Series:

1st ODI: August 2 - 2:00 PM - R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo
2nd ODI: August 4 - 2:00 PM - R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo
3rd ODI: August 7 - 2:00 PM - R. Premadasa International Cricket Stadium, Colombo