Virat Kohli Notches 83rd Century as Friction Between India Coach and Fans Intensifies

Virat Kohli was never really gone. The legendary batter completed another century to drive uproar among fans.

Days before the first ODI between India and South Africa, India met the Proteas in a two-match Test series. On Indian soil, India were the heavy favorites in both matches.

However, the young team in “transition”, as per coach Gautum Gambhir, who stated that the team should be given the long rope and a chance to see their talent meet consistency.

This same team featured several experienced personnel who have been playing for many years in India's colors, including KL Rahul, Ravindra Jadeja, Jasprit Bumrah, Kuldeep Yadav, and Rishabh Pant.

This contradiction led many fans to refer to prior interviews where India’s coach had criticized, excusing losses as a result of the transition.

Given this 2-0 whitewash on home soil and a string of woeful Test results for India in the most recent WTC cycles, and the encouraged retirements of stalwarts Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, cries of Gambhir’s firing have furthered.

Their statement scores pushed Gambhir’s agenda into further question, combining with the earlier retirements in T20Is and Test matches of the two, in which Gambhir is rumored to have played a part.

Rumors of Gambhir’s shattered relationship with the top-order batsmen have led to a face-off. With the two scoring a half-century and a century respectively, Gambhir is increasingly being forced to confront Kohli and Sharma’s late success.

Gambhir’s contract remains on paper until 2027, when the World Cup and “Ro-Ko’s” place will be in question. His white ball tenure has been extremely fruitful, providing an odd and substantial contrast to the red-ball inconsistencies in recent times.

It will be worth tracking whether Gambhir can escape the scrutiny of millions of Indian fans, or whether the pressure will finally be relieved by a different leader.