Ravi Shastri Dismiss Reports on Rift between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

The difference between India captain Virat Kohli and vice-captain in limited-overs Rohit Sharma has been in news. However, the difference of opinion cannot be referred to as conflict, said India head coach Ravi Shastri on the speculation of a rift between Kohli and Sharma. He even rubbished the reports of the alleged rift between them.

“In a side 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,” Ravi Shastri told ‘Gulf News’.

However, the Head Coach shared the team management are currently encouraging the youngsters to build a strong side. Because of that, everyone is giving their ideas and that shouldn’t be taken as a conflict.

“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.

Shastri, on the other hand, was reappointed as the head coach last month till the 2021 World Cup, said that Rohit Sharma would not have smashed five centuries in the World Cup if there were differences between him and the captain Virat Kohli.

“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. If that was the case why would Rohit get five hundreds in the World Cup? Why would Virat do what he is doing? How would they have partnerships together?” Shastri questioned.

Shastri, however, is confident about the team as they have been doing pretty well and will keep their winning momentum on in the upcoming series.

“We have a legacy like the West Indies did the in Eighties and Australia did in the turn of the century. This team too has an opportunity to leave that kind of legacy and they are already doing it. Look at how we have performed in T20, one-dayers and Tests and even in the big ICC tournaments, it is unbelievable,” he added.