Gambhir terms Virat 'man with lion’s passion'; fans accuse him of destroying Kohli's career

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir decided to bury the hatchet with Virat Kohli and heaped massive praise on the prolific batter on Monday following his announcement of retirement from the longest format of the game.

"A man with lion’s passion! Will miss u cheeks….," wrote Gambhir on his social media account X (earlier known as Twitter).

However, Gambhir's gesture has not gone well with many furious fans who slammed Gambhir while accusing him of the 'wrong timing' of Kohli's retirement from Tests.

Furious Fans Slam Gambhir

In reply to Gambhir's tweet, a fan wrote, "Shame on you for destroying Rohit and Kohli's test career."

"It's because of you and BCCI he did this.. Most people will never ever watch Test Cricket now," wrote another fan.

"Hate aside, Gautam Gambhir is the culprit who made Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli retire from tests. He should be sacked immediately. Both of them have done so many things for our country," tweeted a third user.

As per sources, Virat wanted to return as the captain of Team India in the longest format of the game. However, BCCI selectors were keen on giving the role to a youngster ahead of the next World Test Championship (WTC) cycle. It has been learnt that the development prompted Kohli to announce his retirement from red ball cricket.

Must Read: Furious fans slam Gautam Gambhir after Virat Kohli retires from Tests

Several fans believe that Gambhir, who share a tumultuous relationship with Kohli both on and off the field, had a great role in the development. Many fans are speculating that the head coach must have influenced BCCI to force Kohli to play only as a player in the Indian Test XI.

Tumultuous Relationship

Notably, rivalry between Gambhir and Kohli is marked by several fiery confrontations, especially during the Indian Premier League (IPL). Over the years, their verbal spats have stirred up considerable media attention and fan interest, with many questioning whether the two truly harbored ill feelings toward each other. 

There have been few instances over the years when Kohli and Gambhir were involved in high-profile clashes that sent social media and fans into a frenzy.