Robin Uthappa: Surprising Gambhir didn't give credit to either Rohit Sharma or Virat Kohli

Dubai: Former Indian cricketer and Dubai resident Robin Uthappa believes the Indian team’s head coach failed to acknowledge the contributions of top players Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli.

The two star batters currently hold the No 1 and No 2 spots in the ICC ODI rankings.

“What I found surprising is the post-match of that series, in the press conference, I didn’t see Gautam giving credit to either Rohit or Virat," Uthappa said on his YouTube channel.

“Here are a couple of guys who’ve batted out of their skins and shown us how good they are and how good they can be. They reduced all kinds of doubts and shut down any naysayers about what they actually can do and will do for India when they are in the right kind of form. That felt strange," he added.

Both Rohit and Kohli were instrumental in India’s recent series win over South Africa. Kohli amassed over 300 runs across the three ODIs, smashing two centuries and securing the Player of the Series award.

Rohit also contributed significantly, registering two half-centuries in three innings. Despite their performances, ongoing reports suggest a rift between head coach Gautam Gambhir and the two batting stars, further highlighted by Gambhir’s lack of acknowledgment after the series.

Kohli and Rohit currently feature only in ODI cricket for India, having previously retired from Tests and T20Is. Their next appearance is scheduled for the January series against New Zealand.