Kohli, who arrived in Sri Lanka as part of India’s ODI squad ahead of the three-match series, was seen having a long chat with Gambhir; and the laughter shared by the two conveyed that the former teammates have buried the hatchet and are comfortable in their reunion in new roles.
(AFP Photo)
The pictures were widely shared on social media, including by the Indian Premier League franchise Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) that Kohli represents and even the International Cricket Council.
In a cheeky caption for the image where both Kohli and Gambhir are seen laughing, the RCB’s post on ‘X’ read: Our seasoned right-arm quick convincing the gaffer to give him the new ball.”
The Rajasthan Royals also couldn’t stop themselves from sharing and reacting to the images of bonhomie between Kohli and Gambhir, both of who were part of India’s 2011 ODI World Cup triumph.
The RR post read: “Can’t unsee it”.
The International Cricket Council also joined in via Instagram and captioned the image of Gambhir cracking up as: “Why is Gautam Gambhir going” followed by a laughing emoji.
Like Kohli, Rohit Sharma has also returned from a well-deserved rest, as both had announced their retirement from the T20Is following India’s T20 World Cup triumph last month. The tournament also marked the end of Dravid’s tenure as India’s head coach.
Interestingly, after initial reports of Rohit and Kohli not likely to play the ODIs in Sri Lanka, the new head coach Gambhir had urged the seniors to make themselves available for the three-match series, after which both were named in the squad.
(AFP Photo)
Before the ODIs, the Suryakumar Yadav-led Indian team defeated Sri Lanka 3-0 in the T20Is. Surya was named India’s T20I captain after the T20 World Cup.