New Delhi: Virat Kohli’s return to the Indian team ahead of the ODI series against England has been accompanied by fresh speculation over his relationship with head coach Gautam Gambhir. Reports claiming the two were not seen interacting during India’s training session at Edgbaston have once again fuelled discussions about a possible rift within the camp.
According to Times Now, Gambhir spent time speaking with senior players including Rohit Sharma, Shubman Gill and KL Rahul during practice. However, there was reportedly no visible conversation between the head coach and Kohli throughout the session.
Instead, Kohli remained focused on an extended batting session in the nets; only the batting coach Sitanshu Kotak was seen speaking to the former India captain before later having a separate discussion with Gambhir, adding to the speculation surrounding the situation.
Training session sparks fresh speculation
The reports remain unverified but they have revived a narrative that has followed Kohli and Gambhir since the latter took charge as India’s head coach in 2024. The two have had well-known on-field clashes during their Indian Premier League days. However, there has been no official indication of any issues since they began working together for the national team.
Kohli’s return is a significant boost for India after he missed the Afghanistan series because of a hamstring injury he suffered during the IPL 2026 final while representing Royal Challengers Bengaluru. His comeback comes at a crucial time following India’s back-to-back T20I series defeats to Ireland and England.
Gill focuses on World Cup planning
India captain Shubman Gill also spoke about a recent conversation with Kohli, making it clear that their discussions were centred on the team’s long-term plans.
“As I said, we were talking about the combination. Which combination would be best for us in South Africa? Which players are there who may not be in the team now, but can help us in the future? Which bowlers are there? Which all-rounders? Which spinners? So, we were talking about all that,” Gill said.
Meanwhile, Gambhir has continued to stress that team success is more important than individual milestones, a point that has often drawn attention because of Kohli’s record-breaking career.
Whether the latest reports reflect an actual disagreement or simply different working styles remains unclear. However, the timing has naturally drawn attention as India begin a new ODI campaign and build towards the next World Cup. With the spotlight firmly on both the team’s performances and dressing-room environment, all eyes will be on how India responds on the field against England.
