India’s batting coach Sitanshu Kotak has downplayed rumors about any rift between veteran batter Virat Kohli and head coach Gautam Gambhir amid the ODI series against England. It was recently reported that Gambhir and Kohli were not on the same page but Kotak declined such claims.

Meanwhile, Kohli scored 65 runs off 66 balls in the second ODI against England at Sophia Gardens, Cardiff on Thursday after he was dismissed cheaply for five runs in the series opener at Edgbaston, Birmingham on Tuesday.

Kotak revealed as a batting coach he stays away from giving any technical advice to Virat Kohli until he really needs it.

Sitanshu Kotak said in the post-match press conference, “Virat and Gautam, they must have talked 10 times today. I don’t think they need a bridge. And Virat, basically, before going into batting, he talked about certain things. Because, Virat, I honestly say, as a batting coach, till the time he doesn’t feel anything, or if he doesn’t see anything, his batting shouldn’t be disturbed. And we shouldn’t say much, the way he bats.”

“But, mainly, how is his footwork going? Certain things, he asked me before. And then, after the nets, he was talking. Apart from that, what you are saying, I don’t know, where do the rumours come from, but they do come.”

Kotak also revealed Virat Kohli’s message to the dressing room when he was batting in the second ODI against England.

“Virat, if you have seen, while he was batting only, he has sent a message also to us, and he has told the head coach that the short balls are actually not going through. So that we knew,” said Kotak (via the aforementioned source).

The decider of the three-match series between England and India will be played at Lord’s on Sunday.