WATCH: After Gautam Gambhir, Virat Kohli also ignores another coach in 1st ODI, video goes viral

Star India cricketer Virat Kohli sparked discussion after India's 1st ODI win in Ranchi when he appeared to completely ignore South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad, a moment that quickly went viral on social media.

New Delhi: Virat Kohli has retired from both T20Is and Test format and now represents India in only One Day Internationals. Even though he spends more time with his family in London than with the team, he still remains fully involved. Kohli wasn’t part of the Test squad when South Africa head coach Shukri Conrad made controversial ‘grovel’ remark, in fact, he hadn’t even arrived in India. Yet, from the way he reacted to the 58-year-old, it’s obvious that Kohli keeps a close eye on everything happening in Indian cricket.

It appears that Kohli isn’t too fond of the head coaches of either side in the ongoing three-match ODI series. Gambhir wasn’t the only one he ignored, Conrad faced the same treatment. As the Indian players headed up the stairs and greeted the Proteas, Kohli simply walked past Conrad without any acknowledgment. A video now doing the rounds on social media shows Kohli moving right by him no handshake, no glance, nothing at all. It was as if Conrad didn’t exist.

We missed this,Virat Kohli ignored South Africa's head coach after India won 🔥

He must have listened to the PC 😂 https://t.co/5VnVHlmLyY

— Dive (@crickohlic) December 2, 2025

Conrad stirred controversy at the end of Day 4 of the second Test in Guwahati

Conrad stirred controversy at the end of Day 4 of the second Test in Guwahati when he remarked, “We really wanted them to grovel.” While Merriam-Webster defines the word as “to lie or crawl in a submissive or degrading manner’, its meaning in a cricket setting is far more layered and contentious.

Conrad’s remark didn’t sit well with many Indian cricket fans. Aakash Chopra, Anil Kumble and Parthiv Patel expressed strong displeasure, while Sunil Gavaskar dismissed the idea that it was merely a casual comment, calling it inappropriate and even urging Conrad to apologise. When Temba Bavuma was questioned about the remark, the South Africa captain shifted the focus back to Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant’s “Bauna” remark during the Kolkata Test, saying, “A line has been crossed.”

India secured a thrilling 17-runs victory over South Africa in first ODI

Talking about the first ODI, India secured a thrilling 17-runs victory over South Africa. Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma, who now play only ODIs, stitched an impactful partnership of 136 runs after opener Yashasvi Jaiswal fell early. Kohli smashed his 83rd international century, helping India post a massiev total of 349.

South Africa also looked solid at the crease, falling just 17 runs short of the target. Matthew Breetzke and Marco Jansen scored 72 and 70 respectively, while Corbin Bosch contriuted a crucial 67. However, India’s bowlers made the difference, with Kuldeep Yadav delivering an impressive spell of 4/68 and Harshit Rana picking up 3/65, sealing a hard-fought victory.