India captain Virat Kohli quashed reports of a rift in the Indian camp on Monday before the team flew to the West Indies.
There have reports of unrest in the dressing room following India’s exit in the World Cup against New Zealand in the semi-finals but the Indian captain, alongside coach Ravi Shastri, said that was ‘nonsense’. There have also been reports of a fall-out between Kohli and limited-overs vice-captain Rohit Sharma.
Watch Kohli’s comments here:
“In my opinion, it’s baffling and ridiculous to read such things,” Kohli said in the press conference. “I have been to a few public events. What I see is people coming up to me and saying, yaar, aap log kya khele [Man, you guys were so good], there is so much respect for us. Here, we’re feeding lies, overlooking facts, and turning a blind eye to all the good things that have happened.”
He added, “We are creating fantasies and scenarios in our heads and want to accept that this [the alleged rift] is the truth. And I’ve seen this for far too long now. They are bringing personal lives into the picture...and it is disrespectful after a point.
“I have played for 11 years, Rohit 10. It’s bizarre that people are creating this stuff from the outside. Why don’t you guys [the media] come to the dressing room and witness it for yourself. You can see how a Kuldeep Yadav jokes around with a senior like MS Dhoni; the good spirit in the dressing room. I can’t shoot a video and show you when lies are floated around and shown as the truth. It is disrespectful.”
Kohli defended India’s healthy recent record and insisted that there was harmony among players.
“We are living and breathing in getting Team India to the top, and there are some people who take pleasure in bringing us down. In four years, we have taken the team from No 7 to No 1. And what are we talking about here? The friendship and camaraderie is there for everyone to see and it is evident of the field; you can’t play with that much passion if people don’t get along with each other.”
The India captain added, “We wouldn’t have had the kind of performances we’ve had if the dressing room atmosphere wasn’t a good one. The kind of performances we’ve had is only possible due to the camaraderie, trust and understanding in our team.”
The Indian captain also spoke about his admiration for his deputy’s skills as a batsman.
“I will tell you something, if I don’t like a person or am insecure you will see it on my face or from behaviour towards him. I have always praised Rohit Sharma whenever I’ve had an opportunity. It’s baffling where these rumours are coming from and am not sure who is benifitting from all of this,” Kohli added.
Coach Ravi Shastri seconded his captain. “I’ve been in the dressing room for a long time and there is none of that nonsense.”
Shastri also made a tongue-in-cheek comment about the theories going around. “Very soon you will hear wives batting and bowling,” he said.
“The way this team plays, no individual is bigger than the game. Not me, not him [Kohli], nobody in the team.”
In the aftermath of the World Cup, there were reports that the board was contemplating split captaincy – Rohit for limited-overs and Kohli for Tests. But that too was ruled out by the Committee of Administrators earlier.
“These are all stories created by you guys [media],” COA chief Vinod Rai said in response to queries on whether India’s two top batsmen are indeed at loggerheads.
Kohli said Ajinkya Rahane was a part of the team plans despite falling out of favour in recent series. The skipper backed the Mumbai batsman to come good. “We know Ajinkya Rahane can score on a consistent basis,” Kohli said. “Him and Pujara are the pillars of the Test side. He really wants to turn it around, that’s all that matters.”
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