Virat Kohli Gives Brutal Reality Check To ‘Head Coach’ Gautam Gambhir

Virat Kohli credits Rahul Dravid [Source: AFP]

Former Indian Test captain Virat Kohli recently spoke about his struggles with mental health during a tough phase of his career. His remarks, however, are seen as an indirect dig at the current head coach, Gautam Gambhir.

Under Kohli’s leadership, Team India touched new heights by claiming the ICC Test Mace for a period of five years. However, he hit a lean patch from 2020 to 2022, where Kohli, the run machine, failed to score a single century.

With increasing pressure, Virat eventually stepped down as Test captain in 2022. 

Virat Kohli credits Rahul Dravid for Test resurgence

After reliving his captaincy duties, Virat Kohli saw a promising resurgence in his Test career. In 2023, he scored 671 runs in 12 innings at an average of 55.91, including two hundreds.

Meanwhile, in a recent RCB event, Kohli recalled that time and revealed that then-head coach Rahul Dravid and batting coach Vikram Rathour supported him mentally.

"I've said this many times about Rahul bhai and Vikram Rathour. I had a great phase in Test cricket, and whenever I meet them, I thank them from the bottom of my heart because they took care of me in a way that made me feel like I wanted to play for them," Kohli said.

Kohli admitted that their care and understanding made him want to play for them and grind harder for the team. The team atmosphere was such that Virat automatically felt the urge not to give up.

"I wanted to perform, grind it out, and do the hard work because they were so caring and nurturing. They reminded me of everything I had done so far - something you never really sit down and think about as a player," he added.

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The former India skipper explained that leadership had emotionally drained him over nearly nine years. Virat Kohli also said Dravid understood his insecurities because he had experienced similar pressures himself at the highest level.

"As players, you're always walking a very thin line between being cautious and being insecure. You constantly feel like you're never good enough - that imposter syndrome is always there. "Rahul bhai understood that because he had experienced it himself at the highest level. Vikram had been around for years too. They understood what I was feeling and genuinely took care of me mentally. That put me in a space where I could enjoy my cricket again."

Why is it a dig at Gautam Gambhir?

Interestingly, the healthy team atmosphere debate first ignited when Gautam Gambhir took over as India’s head coach by succeeding Rahul Dravid. Since then, rumours of a rift between the coach and seniors, including Virat Kohli, have become the new norm.

Many believe that Gambhir’s coaching style is toxic and creates insecurity among the players. Even in a recent podcast with RCB, Kohli hinted that he is not being valued in the team.

Kohli also accused the Indian team management of having double standards, where one day, they back him, and a few weeks later, he is questioned on the way he operates. 

These two statements have come within a span of a week, and fans firmly believe that Virat Kohli took a dig at Gautam Gambhir both times.

Gambhir blamed for Kohli’s Test retirement

On May 12, 2025, Virat Kohli announced his retirement from the Test format, thus bidding goodbye to a legendary career. While it looked like Kohli’s personal decision, many fans blamed Gautam Gambhir for pushing Virat to the edge.

After the Border-Gavaskar series, where Kohli scored just one century, discussions over him getting dropped for the England tour were gaining momentum.

Many reports claimed that Gambhir no longer wanted Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli to be a part of the new WTC cycle and allegedly pushed for a transition. 

However, those rumours were never verified, but India did see a transition where Shubman Gill took over as captain of India’s new-age Test team.

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