Gautam Gambhir Needs To Handle Virat Kohli Cautiously, Must Follow RCB Model

Is Virat Kohli going to be in India’s 2027 ODI World Cup squad? That is a topic that neither head coach Gautam Gambhir nor BCCI chairman of selectors Ajit Agarkar has directly addressed, instead maintaining a non-committal stance. With just over a year to go to the World Cup, most people expect Kohli to be on the plane to South Africa, but there isn’t 100% certainty. Over the last couple of years, there have also been several reports and rumours over potential friction between Gambhir, Agarkar and Kohli.

The Indian team management’s non-committal approach towards Kohli has left doubts in the minds of experts and fans over what exactly he needs to achieve to guarantee his spot in India’s 2027 World Cup side. Is it his form, is it his fitness, or both, or something else?

During IPL 2026, Kohli himself stated that he does not want to belong in a space where he feels that he has to prove himself:

“If I am made to feel like I need to prove my worth and my value, I’m not in that space. Because I am being honest to my preparation,” Kohli had said on the RCB podcast.

Legendary spinner Ravichandran Ashwin is among those who have called for clarity regarding Kohli’s place in India’s World Cup plans. In a recent YouTube video, Ashwin urged the selectors to make up their mind over Kohli immediately and make him comfortable, putting an end to the doubt once and for all.

Amidst any persisting doubt over Kohli and the need to manage him as a player and person, there is one arena that Gambhir and Agarkar can look at to handle the situation.

Should Team India take notes from RCB?

“He’s been there for so long, he knows how to get the job done. All you need to do is give him respect, give him his space and allow him to do his thing. Most of the coaching revolves around that. Just let him be, with him knowing that we have his back no matter what.

“He’s in the big league – the Michael Jordans, the Novak Djokovics, the Roger Federers. As long as you don’t interfere in his process, you respect him for the person that he is with the bat and off the field, he will create magic for you.”

These are words of Dinesh Karthik, the mentor and batting coach of Royal Challengers Bengaluru (RCB) – Virat Kohli’s IPL team that has created history by winning back-to-back titles in 2025 and 2026.

Kohli’s records and numbers for RCB, particularly in recent years, speak for themselves. Even during periods of drought in international cricket, Kohli has been a guaranteed run-machine at the world’s most competitive franchise cricket league. In 2026, Kohli became the first player in IPL history to score 600+ runs in four consecutive seasons.

But beyond the numbers, Kohli’s desire to deliver for RCB makes him stand out. Kohli shed tears of joy after the IPL 2025 final victory, and overcame the pain of hamstring injury to guide his team to IPL 2026 final victory.

Those moments showed why Kohli is peerless – even at 37 – at leading a team to victory. Those moments showed how Kohli thrives at his absolute best when he is given the comfort to operate at his own pace.

During his IPL years, Gambhir regarded RCB as his favourite rival, clashing many a time with Kohli on the field. But now sitting on the Indian cricket hotseat, he could follow RCB’s tried-and-tested mantra when it comes to handling India’s biggest cricket superstar.

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