Whispers around the Indian cricket circuit suggest that Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli’s relationship has entered a difficult phase. The strain seemed to spill onto the field during the 1st ODI against South Africa in Ranchi. Kohli lit up the match with a brilliant 135, and Rohit added a composed 57, yet even on a night filled with personal milestones, something felt off. Gambhir’s stiff body language and the lack of warm congratulatory gestures with the unusually subdued atmosphere inside the India dressing room made many believe that the tension in India’s ODI setup may be deeper than anyone has publicly acknowledged.
Contents
Origins of the Friction — And the Match That Exposed It
Whispers of friction between Gambhir and the senior duo have existed for months, but insiders claim that things deteriorated sharply in the build-up to the Ranchi ODI. According to sources, the ODI team’s atmosphere has “not been good” for a while, with claims that the coach and the two senior players are “not on talking terms” anymore.
Gautam Gambhir looks sad after India winning with Kohli century😭 pic.twitter.com/GoS1iWKBFg
— Pari (@BluntIndianGal) November 30, 2025
Just days before the South Africa match, Rohit and Kohli reportedly wanted to have a dedicated practice session with the coach, but Gambhir refused, reportedly telling them through staff members, “No, that won’t happen.” According to some sources, Rohit and Virat preferred a separate practice session to avoid any means of conflict with Gautam Gambhir, with the Head Coach sending messages through a mediator, insisting they meet and talk.
These eyes Can’t lie man, They are together to make this politician Cry.🗿🔥
Look at Virat Kohli, how he is Staring at Gautam Gambhir when Rohit sharma Scored the 50.😭🔥❤️pic.twitter.com/W9LPpuoLTP
— `S.🚀 (@ThodaSaSanskari) November 30, 2025
The Head Coach Gautam Gambhir arrived alone on the 28th of November, while Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were spotted later by the camera during their pre-match net sessions. Some reports say the interactions between the Head Coach and the senior duo were minimal and formal. Once the match began, subtle awkward moments stood out, limited communication during strategic breaks, avoided eye contact, and a noticeable lack of warmth even during key milestones.
Related Article：Chaos and Cheers at MS Dhoni’s Party – Who Skipped the Reunion?
RO-KO Retirement Talk Intensifies：Captaincy Drama and Gambhir’s Cold Reaction Spark Debate
RO-KO fans online believe that Gambhir has been influencing major decisions involving the two legends, from Rohit losing his original captaincy to growing chatter around RO-KO retirement. Many now fear that Kohli may be pushed toward an ODI retirement after the 2025 Champions Trophy, while similar speculation has begun to surface about Rohit’s future in the format as well.
Kohli completely ignored gambhir after win 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/XNBwPZPN0q
— ADITYA (@Wxtreme10) December 1, 2025
When Kohli walked back into the India dressing room after scoring a brilliant 135 runs in the first ODI against South Africa, footage of Head Coach Gambhir hugging Virat was shown, but Virat was not seen smiling at the time of the hug.
After the win, when Kohli again headed to the India dressing room, he was seen completely ignoring Gambhir and heading straight in. Gambhir’s subdued reactions to Rohit’s fifty and Virat’s hundred lead to speculation around the intensification of the rumoured rift. Many supporters online questioned why a coach would appear detached during a dominant win, arguing that this only reinforces suspicions of behind-the-scenes discord.
Match Scorecard Reflections and Fan Reactions
While batting first at the JSCA International Stadium in Ranchi, the Indian Team posted 349 runs on the board with Virat Kohli grabbing all the headlines by scoring his 52nd ODI hundred. On the other hand, Rohit Sharma also went past Shahid Afridi to become the player with the most sixes in ODI cricket in his 57-run innings; KL Rahul’s calculated 60-run knock, and Ravindra Jadeja’s cameo made sure that South Africa had to chase an above-par total.
Virat Kohli stare at Gautam Gambhir after Rohit Sharma fifty. 😭 pic.twitter.com/7KIFQi39cf
— Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) November 30, 2025
Yet, amid these powerful performances, several supporters noticed Gambhir’s unusually restrained responses, once again prompting scrutiny of Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli’s relationship and the growing india dressing room controversy in the India dressing room. South Africa chased hard but fell short at 332 all out. Matthew Breetzke led with 72, while Marco Jansen and Corbin Bosch added 70 and 67, respectively. Tonny de Zorzi and Dewald Brevis also contributed valuable runs, but couldn’t overcome India’s total. Kuldeep Yadav, Arshdeep Singh, and Harshit Rana picked up crucial wickets, sealing a 17-run win for India.
Virat Kohli didn’t even smiled while hugging Gautam Gambhir. 😭 pic.twitter.com/OjE1yLK4I5
— Selfless⁴⁵ (@SelflessCricket) November 30, 2025
Despite on-field success, Kohli’s off-field body language drew attention—he didn’t smile while hugging Gambhir and reportedly ignored him post-win. Fans speculate this tension influenced RO-KO retirement talks and Rohit’s past captaincy loss, fueling the ongoing India dressing room controversy.
Escalation：BCCI Forced to Step In as Rift Threatens Team Image
What has intensified the India dressing room controversy is the claim that the situation has now escalated to a point where the BCCI had to hold internal discussions about the rift. With allegations of communication breakdown, practice-session disagreements, and public awkwardness, officials reportedly felt compelled to evaluate whether the issue could damage team culture, especially with a major cricketing cycle approaching.
🚨 𝑹𝑬𝑷𝑶𝑹𝑻𝑺 🚨
The BCCI has called for a meeting with the men’s team management to discuss a roadmap for all formats and improve communication between key stakeholders and senior players.
The meeting is scheduled for Wednesday in Raipur, ahead of the second ODI.… pic.twitter.com/lMmKECBSrU
— Sportskeeda (@Sportskeeda) November 30, 2025
Several insiders have expressed concern that the ongoing tension is “damaging the image of Indian cricket,” as one source put it. The ODI team is expected to operate on unity and leadership stability, but when the head coach and India’s two most influential cricketers are reportedly barely communicating, the board sees it as a matter requiring urgent intervention.
🚨UPDATE ON TEAM INDIA DRESSING ROOM IN ODI CRICKET🚨 (Ankan Kar/ Abhishek Tripathi from Ray Sportz Cricket YT).
– ODI team’s atmosphere is bad.
– Coach & Two big players are not on talking terms.
– Roko wanted to practice session separately, Gautam Gambhir sent a msg through… pic.twitter.com/P0ldCL7OCG— MANU. (@IMManu_18) December 1, 2025
Gautam Gambhir and Virat Kohli’s relationship story added a new chapter in the Ranchi ODI, which won’t be remembered for Virat Kohli’s 52nd ODI hundred and India’s victory, but also a centrepiece of this story.
