“We have come a long way, putting an end to all the masala.” – BCCI teases open conversation between Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir

On Wednesday, September 18, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) released a sneak peek of an open discussion between head coach Gautam Gambhir and star batsman Virat Kohli. The pair experienced the utmost glory when they won the 2011 ODI World Cup and when Gambhir gave a young Kohli his Player of the Match award. However, in terms of rivalry, they have drawn some criticism in the IPL.

The first time Kohli and Gambhir were seen engaged in a heated verbal altercation during an IPL match was in 2013. Ten years later, during an IPL 2023 match between the Lucknow Super Giants and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, they had a major falling out, for which the IPL committee fined them. But earlier in the year, during the Kolkata Knight Riders vs. RCB game at Chinnaswamy Stadium, the two gave one other a hug, which helped to reduce their tension.

The BCCI media team gathered the two players for an open discussion ahead of their two-match Test series against Bangladesh

Kohli began by discussing ending all of the “Masala” that the public and media have been creating over the past several years. Thus, we find ourselves in this situation. We have made great progress and are ending all of the masala,” said Kohli, chuckling, to which Gambhir responded, “That’s a nice start to the talk.” When the BCCI released the teaser, both cricket players laughed it off. It should be soon for the entire clip to be released.

A Very Special Interview 🙌

Stay tuned for a deep insight on how great cricketing minds operate. #TeamIndia’s Head Coach @GautamGambhir and @imVkohli come together in a never-seen-before freewheeling chat.

You do not want to miss this! Shortly on https://t.co/Z3MPyeKtDz pic.twitter.com/dQ21iOPoLy

— BCCI (@BCCI) September 18, 2024

Both cricket players may be seen in the teaser watching a highlight of the 2011 ODI World Cup final. While Gambhir talked about his renowned innings in Napier, where he batted for two and a half days straight, Kohli discussed his attitude when he’s in the correct zone. In addition, they hinted at a playful exchange between the two legendary players, with Gambhir telling Kohli that he had more fights with the opposition than the former had.

Also Read: Gautam Gambhir’s aggressiveness is usually come out in protection of his players: Dinesh Karthik

Remarkably, Kohli tweeted just the word “Kindness” at the same moment the BCCI released the teaser.

Kindness.

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 18, 2024