Virat Kohli snubbed, Hardik Pandya kept in loop for Gautam Gambhir’s appointment as India head coach

Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir have been a complicated equation over the years, ever since they got into a verbal spat in an IPL match all those years ago. Much has been said and written about the duo since then and they even seemed to bury the hatchet in this year's IPL. However, despite the spat remaining relatively quiet, it seems that the BCCI was in no mood to take any chances as the Indian cricket board reportedly did not even consult Kohli about the appointment of India's head coach.

According to a report in The Hindustan Times, BCCI did not consult Virat Kohli on the appointment of India's next head coach, while Hardik Pandya and a few other players were informed of Gambhir's appointment before the official announcement.

Notably, Kohli had recently announced his retirement from T20 cricket after winning the 20-over World Cup and with the younger generation starting to take the baton, the BCCI may not see Kohli as a long-term prospect.

A BCCI source while speaking to Hindustan Times said, “There is enough time for the two to have conversations over the table. But it was important for the BCCI to look at the big picture with many youngsters likely to feature in the coming years,”

Gambhir and Kohli's complicated relationship: 

Despite a relatively strained on-field relationship, Kohli and Gambhir have both spoken publicly about the matter this year. Notably, Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir were seen hugging and talking at the Chinnaswamy stadium earlier this year.

After the encounter, Kohli had put all rumors of a potential conflict with Gambhir to rest by saying, “People are very disappointed with my behaviour. I hugged Naveen, and then the other day, Gauti bhai [Gautam Gambhir came and hugged me. Your masala is over, so you're booing. We're not kids anymore."

Meanwhile, Gambhir had also similarly reciprocated on the matter in an interaction, stating that the perception of their relationship is far away from reality and he did not want to give any masala to the public. 

Gambhir said, “The perception is far away from the reality. My relation with Virat Kohli is something this country doesn’t need to know. He has as much right as I do to express himself and help our respective teams win. Our relation is not to give masala to the public,"