Did Virat Kohli ignore Gautam Gambhir? Awkward post-match exchange triggers rift rumours online

India triumphed over South Africa with a 2-1 victory in the three-match ODI series, sealing the deal with a commanding 9-wicket win in the decisive match held on Saturday in Visakhapatnam. The Proteas set a target of 271 runs, which the Men in Blue successfully chased down in just 39.5 overs. Yashasvi Jaiswal was the star of the show, scoring a brilliant century, while Rohit Sharma (75 off 73) and Virat Kohli (65* off 45) also made significant contributions to the chase.

Following the match, Kohli embraced his teammates, but fans noticed a stark contrast in his body language when he encountered head coach Gautam Gambhir. Just after receiving his Player of the Match trophy, Kohli's actions sparked discussion. As he ascended the dressing room stairs, the camera caught him seemingly ignoring Gambhir, who was present in the room. Kohli, engrossed in his phone, walked past without acknowledging the head coach.

The right-handed batsman kicked off the series with an impressive century in Ranchi, followed it up with another in Raipur, and capped it off with a quick half-century.

Gautam Gambhir didn't hug kohli after india winning the odi series..#Kohli #ViratKohli #gautamgambhir #GautamGambhir #IndvSa pic.twitter.com/FCiorF9lAz

— Vishal Kumar (@VishalSports123) December 6, 2025

India secured victory in the first match, but South Africa made a strong comeback in the second, successfully chasing down a target of 359 runs to level the series at 1-1. Ultimately, the Men in Blue clinched a resounding 9-wicket victory in the final ODI. Although Team India faced defeat in the Test series, they emerged victorious in the ODIs and are now set to face South Africa in a five-match T20I series.

Reiterating his views on the ODI World Cup 2027 selections, Gambhir emphasized that the prestigious event is still two years away, making it premature to finalize whether Kohli and Rohit will be included in the squad. The head coach clarified that players like Ruturaj Gaikwad, Yashasvi Jaiswal, and other young talents need more experience before they can become integral to the team's ODI plans. Gambhir aims to provide them with more opportunities to enhance their skills as the ODI World Cup approaches.

"First you got to realise that the ODI World Cup is two years away. It's important to stay in the present, and that young boys coming into the set-up grab their opportunities," Gambhir said in the press conference.

"Someone like Rutu (Gaikwad) has batted out of position, but he's a quality player. We wanted to give him an opportunity in this series, because of the kind of form he was in with India A. And he grabbed that opportunity with both hands when we were under pressure. Getting that kind of a 100 was proper quality. And Yashasvi as well, we've seen how much quality he has, especially in Test cricket. It's just the start of his career, especially in white-ball cricket. Hopefully he has a massive future ahead and so does Rutu," he said on the young guns.

Also read| 'Stay in present...': Gautam Gambhir avoids naming Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma for 2027 ODI World Cup plans