“Left behind his ego in the kit bag” - When Gautam Gambhir heaped massive praise on Virat Kohli after stellar knock in South Africa

Team India head coach Gautam Gambhir had much to say about ace batter Virat Kohli during his days as a commentator and analyst. On one such occasion, Gambhir hailed Kohli for one of his most defiant Test knocks in the 2021/22 tour of South Africa.

The three-match test series against the Proteas was tied at 1-1, heading into the finale at Cape Town. India won the toss and elected to bat first, only to find themselves in early trouble at 33/2 in the 13th over when Kohli walked out to bat.

Yet, unfazed by the situation, the champion batter went against his attacking instincts and scored 79 off 201 deliveries.

The knock drew massive praise from Gambhir, who said on Star Sports (via India Today):

"Virat has said many times that when you go to England, you should leave behind your ego in India. Today, Virat Kohli left behind his ego in the kit bag and this knock reminds me of his very successful tour of England, where he got beaten many times but left a lot of deliveries outside off-stump.

He added:

"Today, in the same way, he left deliveries outside off-stump, he got beaten as well but kept his ego with himself. He did not try to dominate the bowlers on every delivery."

Kohli's knock helped India post a competitive 223 in their first innings. However, the hosts dominated the rest of the contest and completed a comfortable seven-wicket win to pull off a 2-1 series victory. Incidentally, the Cape Town encounter became Kohli's last as India's Test captain.

"If you perform, then why 40, you can jolly well play till 45" - Gautam Gambhir on Virat Kohli's future

Cut to the present, Gautam Gambhir recently stated that senior batters, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, can play as long as they wish, should their performances remain consistent. Yet, Rohit has already announced his Test retirement on Tuesday, May 7.

Recent reports suggest Kohli could also walk away from the long format ahead of the upcoming England tour (via Indian Express).

Talking about the duo's future earlier in the week at the ABP News 'India At 2047' Summit, Gambhir said (via NDTV):

"Till the time they (Rohit and Kohli) are performing, they should be a part of the team. When you start and when you end, is your individual decision. No coach, no selector, no BCCI can tell you when you should call it quits. If you perform, then why 40, you can jolly well play till 45, who's stopping you?"

It remains to be seen who India's next Test captain is, with the retirement of Rohit, for the England series. The first England Test will be played at Leeds, starting June 20.