As unfortunate as it sounds, the alleged rift between India captain Virat Kohli and limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma received several versions with respect to “difference of opinion” between the two senior Indian cricketers.
It was eventually before flying to West Indies that Kohli addressed the reporters regarding the same. Denying any such rift, Kohli termed all the unofficial reports to be “baffling and ridiculous“.
Most recently, India coach Ravi Shastri opened up on the purported rift between Kohli and Sharma. Speaking in an interview with Gulf News, Shastri gives a detailed explanation and shunned off anything of such (rift) sort.
“Listen, I have been around the dressing room for the last five years. I have seen how the boys have played and how they have complimented the team and know their work ethics.
“I feel it is absolute nonsense [reports of a rift]. I have been there with them and I know the way they play. If that was the case why would Rohit get five hundred in the World Cup? Why would Virat do what he is doing? How would they have partnerships together?,” Shastri was quoted as saying.
Shastri also talked about contrasting opinions taking center stage in a 15-member team. However, by no means did he see the whole discussion as a “conflict”. “In aside when you have 15 players there will always be times when there will be opinions that will be different. That is what is needed. I don’t want everyone toeing the same line.
“You have got to have discussions and someone might then think of a fresh strategy, which has to be encouraged. So you have to give the guys the opportunity to express themselves and then decide what is best. Sometimes it might be the junior-most player in the team who may come up with a strategy which we hadn’t even thought of and we need to bring that to the table. So these should not be seen as a conflict,” Shastri added.
