Disharmony between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma factions over team selection in 2019 Cricket World Cup, says report

Disharmony between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma: A recent report claims that things were not well within the Indian cricket team.

Post their exit from the ongoing ICC Cricket World Cup 2019, Indian cricketers haven’t even returned back to India that reports of a rift in the Indian team are doing the rounds in the media.

It is said that Indian players are divided among factions led by captain Virat Kohli and vice-captain Rohit Sharma. The major cause of concern is supposed to be team selection which going by the reports are controlled in a negative manner by Kohli.

My suggestion to @BCCI is this that #Viratkohli should remain captain of test team and #RohitSharma should become captain for one day cricket team. Pls RT if you do agree with me and like for disagree.

— KRK (@kamaalrkhan) July 13, 2019

Disharmony between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

The aforementioned has been quoted by an Indian player (identity disclosed) to Hindi Daily Dainik Jaagran. The reports also highlight Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri taking unilateral decisions with respect to team selection. One such instance was regarding picking all-rounder Vijay Shankar over middle-over batsman Ambati Rayudu.

Talking more about Rayudu, the cricketer unveiled how the sword was always hanging on the 33-year old cricketer and it was always going to be a matter of time for him to not find a place in the squad.

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The report further claims that Sharma and spearhead Jasprit Bumrah’s position remains unquestionable because of their performances. For the others, players who are not in the ‘Virat Company’ usually suffer because of this partiality.

Giving the example of batsman Lokesh Rahul, the player spoke how he mostly gets a playing either as an opening batsman or at No. 4. If not that, the player mentioned that Rahul would at least be picked in the squad as a reserve batsman.

“Kohli only pays heed to Shastri and Arun”

Before concluding, the player disclosed how the presence of Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun have affected some players in an undesired manner. Being informed that the support staff’s contract has been extended by 45 days, the player asked the Dainik Jagran correspondent, “Virat [Kohli] bhai is performing great with the bat but when will this coach and bowling coach leave?”

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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