Sitanshu Kotak Denies Kohli-Gambhir Rift, Highlights Communication and Pitch Challenges

India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has strongly refuted reports of a rift between Virat Kohli and head coach Gautam Gambhir following India’s loss in the second ODI against England in Cardiff. Addressing the media after the match, Kotak emphasized that there was no communication breakdown between the two individuals.

“No (laughs), Virat and Gautam would’ve spoken about 10 times today. I don’t think that needs any bridge,” Kotak stated.

He also discussed Kohli’s proactive approach before the ODI series, noting that the former captain sought technical advice during practice sessions at Edgbaston. “As a batting coach, unless he identifies a significant technical issue, we avoid interfering with his technique. However, he approached me with specific concerns regarding his footwork and continued our discussions after the nets,” Kotak explained.

“Apart from that, I don’t know where the rumours come from, but they exist,” he added.

Furthermore, Kotak revealed that Kohli provided critical insights about the Cardiff pitch conditions during his innings, informing the support staff about the variable bounce and difficulty in executing strokes. “He communicated that the short balls weren’t behaving as expected, which helped us understand the pitch’s behavior,” Kotak said.

Despite Kohli’s fluent 65 and a vital 66 from Shreyas Iyer, India’s innings faltered, losing four wickets for just 15 runs to end at 233. Kotak assessed that the team fell short of a competitive total, attributing the collapse to the pitch becoming slower and Joe Root’s resilient batting.

“A target of 233, at five-and-a-half runs per over, isn’t imposing if a batter reaches a century. If we had dismissed Root, the outcome might have been different,” he concluded.

England successfully chased the target with four wickets remaining, thanks to Root’s unbeaten century, leveling the series 1-1. The decisive third ODI is set to take place at Lord’s on July 19.

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