A lot has been said and talked about how the Gautam Gambhir–Virat Kohli relationship could be in the upcoming years during the former’s reign as Team India’s head coach. The duo, who had a huge verbal fight during IPL 2023, have already moved through it. However, the chatter about their bond continues to persist as the two stars will now be seen together for Team India, one as a head coach and another as a player. Another important reason for their relationship to be discussed is the fact that both Virat and Gambhir carry an in-your-face attitude.

“Whatever happened in IPL, they should keep it behind their back. They are very senior cricketers and they are mature sportsmen,” Venkatapathy Raju told NDTV in an exclusive interview.

“There will be be lot of discussions on social media. We should just leave them (Kohli and Gambhir),” added the former India cricketer.

After Rahul Dravid‘s exit as India’s head coach was confirmed, Gambhir emerged as the clear and favourite alternative, especially considering the work he has done in the Indian Premier League (IPL) over the last 2-3 years. With Virat Kohli also giving the nod to be a part of India’s ODI assignment against Sri Lanka, it would be the first time that he would be working with Gambhir in the same team.

Both Gambhir and Kohli are known to wear their hearts on their sleeves while playing cricket. Be it as opponent teams’ captains in the IPL or more recently, as a mentor and senior players of their respective franchises, the two have had some fiery clashes on the field. But, after Gambhir’s switch to Kolkata Knight Riders as a mentor, it all seemed well between him and Kohli when they met during an IPL 2024 match.

Days ago, Gambhir declared that his relationship with batting mainstay Virat Kohli “is between the two of us and not for TRPs”.

“Good for the TRP, but my relationship is not public. What kind of a relationship I share with Virat Kohli… I think it’s between two mature individuals,” Gambhir had said during a press conference.

India’s three-match T20I series against Sri Lanka kicks off on Jul 27. It will be followed with an ODI series of as many matches. The live streaming of live telecast of the series will be on Sony Sports Network, while Venkatapathy Raju will be in the channel’s Telugu commentary panel.