What happened when Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir collided on the field
Former Delhi all-rounder Rajat Bhatia has seen Indian skipper Virat Kohli and former India opener Gautam Gambhir from close quarters, having been their domestic teammate for many seasons. Rajat Bhatia, though, was caught in the middle of an ugly incident between the two in the 2013 season of the Indian Premier League (IPL).
In a game between Gautam Gambhir’s Kolkata Knight Riders and Virat Kohli's Royal Challengers Bangalore, the two top Delhi stalwarts engaged in a sledging match at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium in Bengaluru.
Rajat Bhatia, who turned out for KKR in the said game, recalled that words might have been exchanged between Gambhir and Virat Kohli but there were no hard feelings between the two cricketers.
While RCB went on to pull off an easy win in the match, the focus remained on the spat between the two players after the match.
“That is something which happened when two aggressive captains played and they always want to give their best and win for their respective teams. Even if they had any kind of collision in that match, it was just a part of the game,” Rajat Bhatia was quoted as saying by Asianet Newsable.
“Later, I have never seen them (Gambhir and Virat Kohli) fighting. In the heat of the moment, so many things happen. But, it shouldn’t be happening for the worse. And on that day, it was not,” Rajat Bhatia added.
In a first-class career spanning 112 games, Rajat Bhatia averaged 49.12 with the willow and also picked up 137 wickets at an average of 27.97 with the ball across his 20-year tenure.
Apart from KKR, Rajat Bhatia also plied his trade with the Delhi Daredevils, Rajasthan Royals and Rising Pune Supergiants in the Indian Premier League.
Virat Kohli's hunger makes him the best batsmen in the world
Speaking about Virat Kohli, Rajat Bhatia said that the India captain’s hunger for runs makes him the best batsmen in the world at the moment.
“The best part about Virat Kohli is he is always hungry to score runs. And, that hunger never looked to end. That is why he is the best batsman at the moment. He knew that he has to perform and never stop,” Rajat Bhatia, who captained Uttarakhand in Ranji Trophy last season, said.
“I think this is one of the things every player should learn from Virat Kohli. Every player who plays for the country should remember that he should keep performing. That is what Kohli is doing at the moment,” the 40-year-old all-rounder added.