India skipper Virat Kohli denies reports of rift with limited overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma
India skipper Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri interact with the media prior to the teamu00c3u00a2u00c2u0080u00c2u0099s departure to the United States yesterday. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Years ago, Sachin Tendulkar had earmarked Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma as players to watch out for and probably break many batting records. While the legendary Indian batsman's prophetic thoughts are turning out to be true with Kohli and Rohit being the batting mainstays of Team India, talk of rift surfacing after India's shocking loss in the World Cup semi-final against New Zealand has created a flutter.
Before Team India departed for the West Indies tour, skipper Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri (who was not scheduled to attend the press conference), quashed all theories and reports of a rift. "It is baffling to be honest. It is absolutely ridiculous to read such stuff. I have been to a few public events and everyone comes up and says, 'aap log kya khele [you guys played so well], we have so much respect for you'. And here we are feeding off lies. We are overlooking facts, we are turning a blind eye to all the good things that have happened and creating fantasies and scenarios in our head and we want to accept that this is the truth.
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Rohit Sharma
"It is bringing personal lives into the picture. It is disrespectful. I have played the game for 11 years, Rohit has played for [more than] 10 years, it is bizarre to know people are creating this stuff on the outside," said Kohli, insisting the media come in the dressing room to experience first-hand camaraderie between team members.
Head coach Shastri stepped in when Kohli was asked whether he categorically denies the alleged rift. "Very soon you will read wives batting and bowling," said a visibly upset Shastri. Kohli then went to highlight his team's consistent results which wouldn't have been possible to achieve if there was a rift. "If the team atmosphere was not good, then it would have not been possible to play the way we did in the last two to three years," Kohli said.
Will it be awkward for Kohli when he meets Rohit? "I will tell you something about myself... if I don't like a person or if I am insecure of a person then you will see that on my face or in my behaviour towards the person, that's how simple it is. I have always praised Rohit, whenever I had an opportunity because I believe he is that good. We have had no issues," he said.
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