During the conversation, they discovered that despite their similarities, they both find inner strength from their faith in the divine when facing extraordinary challenges.Gambhir recalled how chanting the ‘Hanuman Chalisa‘ helped him find the resolve to play an epic knock spread over two days, saving a Test match against New Zealand in Napier nearly 15 years ago.
Similarly, Kohli revealed that during his successful 2014 tour of Australia, where he scored four Test hundreds, he would chant ‘Om Namah Shivay‘ before every delivery, which helped him stay in the zone.
“Instead of talking about me, I remember when you had that bumper series in Australia, where you scored heaps and heaps of runs, you were telling me that you kept saying ‘Om Namah Shivay’ before every delivery. And that got you in that zone,” PTI quoted Gambhir as saying during the bcci.tv podcast.
Gambhir’s innings in Napier lasted nearly two days and half a session, facing 436 balls over 10 hours and 43 minutes. His effort helped India avoid an innings defeat after New Zealand enforced a follow-on. Gambhir shared crucial partnerships with Rahul Dravid, Sachin Tendulkar, and VVS Laxman during his innings.
“I remember Laxman telling me when I was batting on Day 5 in Napier. After that first session, when I was walking back, he told me ‘Do you realise you have not uttered a word for the last two hours, even between overs’? I realised that I did not say a word,” Gambhir recounted.
“All I did between overs was nod and play, and when I got back, I put on Hanuman Chalisa and listened to it. For those two-and-half-days, it was like completely zoned out.”
Both Gambhir and Kohli acknowledged that being in such a zone is a divine experience, one that can only be understood by those who have experienced it themselves.
Their shared faith in the divine has undoubtedly played a significant role in their success as cricketers and their ability to overcome challenges both on and off the field.