It's not a much different cloth that Virat Kohli and Gautam Gambhir are cut from. Both like to wear heart on sleeve while representing the county and don't shy away from letting their joy and displeasure be known, even in the public eye. But with Gambhir entering the Indian dressing room as head coach, it marks a new beginning in their otherwise tense relationship over the years.
The expected got confirmed on Tuesday with the BCCI unveiling Gambhir as the team's new head coach, replacing Rahul Dravid who ended his tenure with the T20 World Cup title.
No coach or player likes to lose, but with Gambhir, that narrative goes a little further with the added, intense patriotic fervour he brings to the dressing room.
On that note, again, Gambhir is not different to Kohli, or vice versa, and maybe a step ahead. Both have always taken the field with losing-is-not-an-option approach, which brought them eye to eye on more than one occasion during the Indian Premier League.
When those things combine for the common cause, which is winning matches and trophies for India, it can make the team invincible in all formats, with Kohli part of Tests and ODIs only going ahead, having quit the T20Is.
But it will take a little more time before Gambhir and Kohli are in the same dressing room.
Gambhir's first assignment will be the white-ball tour of Sri Lanka, for which skipper Rohit Sharma and Kohli are expected to be rested by the BCCI to stay fresh for the season ahead.
So it's likely that the duo will mark the beginning of a new era in their relationship when Bangladesh visit India for a Test series.
The two were teammates during the victorious 2011 World Cup campaign and won't mind lifting the trophy once again, while wearing different hats.
"I have always taken pride while donning the Indian jersey during my playing days and it is going to be no different when I take up this new role. Cricket has been my passion and I look forward to working closely with the BCCI, Head of Cricket - Mr VVS Laxman, the support staff, and, most importantly, the players, as we work towards achieving success in the upcoming tournaments," Gambhir said after his appointment.
