Chawla exposes Gautam Gambhir's 'class' act regarding Virat Kohli

A young Virat Kohli was given the Player of the Match award by Gautam Gambhir, and that was fifteen years ago. That match saw Kohli achieve his first century in an ODI against Sri Lanka. It was an act of great admiration for a budding artist. But since then, there haven't been many occasions where the two Delhi boys' friendship has been evident.

Referring to their on-field altercations in the 2013 and 2023 Indian Premier League, Gambhir clarified his position on his relationship with Kohli after being named India's head coach. He said that both players are fierce competitors on the field and that it is quite normal for them to battle it out for their respective teams.

Former Indian cricketer Piyush Chawla, who previously partnered with both Gambhir and Kohli, gave a compelling anecdote about his former KKR captain that showed how Gambhir supported the young players in his team.

Chawla said on Shubhankar Mishra's podcast, "You know what Gauti bhai's best feature is? He will inspire you, provide you with a helping hand, and show you how much he supports you. Even if you don't do anything in all 14 games, he will support you if he recognizes that skill in you. "He will support you if you can succeed, which is fantastic for any player."

Gautam Gambhir gets candid about his relationship with Virat Kohli:

The leg-spinning player praised Gambhir as "one of the best humans" and discussed his contrasted personality both on and off the pitch. Chawla further added, "I worked with him for four to five years; in fact, we played for both India and India A. Despite his fierce on-field demeanour, he is just as kind off the field. I have the most unbelievable amount of joy interacting with him. Gauti bhai, you are among the most amazing people I have ever met."

Providing yet another example of Gambhir's extraordinary humility, Chawla recounted an instance in which the former opener allayed any doubts about his friendship with Kohli. 

Chawla continued, "Gauti bhai and I were performing a show. Someone asked us a question saying, 'To which bowler did Virat take the single off after he completed his 50th century?' Gambhir answered it; I was unable to. He said, 'Now don't say there's any tiff,' Gauti bhai exudes elegance. He is among the best,"

It's interesting to note that Chawla, Kohli, and Gambhir were all members of the team that won the 2011 World Cup and was captained by MS Dhoni.  Watch this space for more cricket news.