Gambhir was in favour of appointing Kohli Test captain [Source: AFP]Gautam Gambhir hates Virat Kohli; he doesn’t want him in the team. Such phrases have often been used to describe the relationship between the two Indian legends, but if the latest report is to be believed, then Gambhir was the one person who supported Kohli during his darkest days after the Border-Gavaskar Series (2024-25).The two greats of the game have often been misunderstood for their on-field rivalries during their IPL days, but it seems Gambhir, who is a fierce competitor himself, sided with Kohli, and wanted to make him the Indian Test captain after the BGT 2024-25 horror series.Gambhir wanted to make Kohli Test captainAccording to the latest report by Cricblogger, after India suffered a heartbreaking defeat away from home against Australia in January 2025, Team India head coach Gambhir was interested in reappointing Kohli as the Test side's captain.However, there was one major hurdle in approaching Kohli: chief selector Ajit Agarkar was unsure about the former India captain’s place in the Test XI, and he wanted to have a conversation about his Test future.The report claimed that things were not-so-great between the then Test captain, Rohit Sharma and Gambhir as the duo had a rift.The report claimed that things were not-so-great between the then Test captain, Rohit Sharma and Gambhir as the duo had a rift, and a couple of months later, Rohit announced his shocking retirement from red-ball cricket.Kohli followed Rohit's footsteps and retired in May 2025After India’s drubbing at the hands of Australia, Kohli was in the firing line despite reported support from coach Gautam Gambhir. Not only him, but his long-time India teammate, Rohit also faced the same wrath as the 39-year-old announced his Test retirement on May 7, 2025.Also Read: BCCI Issues Virat Kohli's Availability Status For India vs England ODIsReportedly, he was dropped from the fifth Test against Australia, and it triggered Rohit, as he decided to part ways with the format. A couple of days later, Kohli followed Rohit’s footsteps and he, too, retired from his favourite cricketing format.While neither of the two were in great Test form, their retirement announcement came as a shocker since the pair took part in the Ranji Trophy matches in order to hone their skills.Why Gambhir wanted to appoint Kohli as the Test captainOut of 68 Tests, Kohli won 40 games for India and was one of the world’s most successful Test leaders when he stepped away from the post after the South Africa series in 2021-22.Kohli was a true leader during his captaincy days, and after India’s heavy loss against Australia, Gambhir perhaps wanted his intensity and leadership in the dressing room.Moreover, with the loss against Australia, India crashed out of the WTC final race, and the head coach would have wanted Kohli to take over from the fresh WTC cycle.Kohli, Rohit now fighting for a place in ODIsNearly 14 months after their Test retirement, and nothing has changed. The two of the most successful and great ODI batters, Kohli, and Rohit are now fighting for a place in the ODI team, and reportedly, their place is not guaranteed for the 2027 World Cup.Any other player with their statistics would have played in the ODI setup, but the selection panel is still unsure about their place.The two legendary players will now be seen in action in the upcoming India vs England ODI series, starting on July 14.Also Read: 417 Runs Scored In A T20 Match; Team Awaits World Record Confirmation
