Virat Kohli’s frosty handshake with Gambhir stands out after warm exchanges with teammates, fuelling rift buzz

Problems between senior members of sports teams and their coaching staff is never a good sign for a unit, as it can have the tendency to sow discord and create factions that make progress difficult and a struggle to get through. Nevertheless, despite plenty of intrigue surrounding the relationship shared by Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir, India had enough steel and firepower in the bank against the white ball to get the job done with a 2-1 series win against South Africa.

Virat Kohli with a huge smile hugs Rohit Sharma after India’s win, but seems far more formal when he shakes hands with Gautam Gambhir.(Screengrab)

Reports have circulated regarding a dressing room cold war between Kohli and Gambhir, two players who have found each other on opposite sides of a handful of rows and contests over the years, particularly in the IPL where they have always been on opposing sides.

Now with Gambhir as coach and Kohli a leading fgiure in the dressing roo, reports of a feud between the pair have raised concerns regarding the state of the dressing room. Naturally, these can e considered unsubstantiated rumours with a focu on results and winning with the team being in priority, but fans are nevertheless interested in this storyline.

After India’s thumping nine-wicket win in Vizag, where they won with 10 overs to spare and took the series 2-1, Kohli and Gambhir’s post match interaction was an interesting watch. Having score 65* off just 45 balls and hammering the winning runs with some quick boundaries, Kohli walked off the field with young centurion Yashasvi Jaiswal, and seemed to be all smiles and positive vibes as he greeted his teammates and embraced them with dap-ups and handshakes to celebrate the victory.

Upbeat Kohli shows new version of himself

However, fans think there was a visible change in his demeanor as he stepped up to Gambhir, with whom he shared a far more formal and business-like handshake before moving on to the rest of the team. The lack of a smile and quick move-on has caused more suspicion to be raised regarding the truth of the situation between the two parties.

Kohli had been in an upbeat mood all match, looking sharp in the field and pulling off plenty of antics as the Indian bowling unit contained the Proteas to 270 all-out. This included a strut after taking the catch of Bavuma, dancing with Kuldeep Yadav after the leg-spinner had taken a wicket, and also a moment of light-hearted banter with some bowlers.

When he came out to bat with India in a commanding position, he flexed his power and good form by hitting a string of powerful, good-looking boundaries, including the two fours to wrap up proceedings.

Kohli certainly seems to have changed his demeanor upon greeting Gambhir, but this too provides a take of conjecture and possibility rather than real evidence of a rift. As long as India can produce results and victories in the format, this working relationship might well be forgotten about.