A day after Shiksha News reported that all may not we bell in the Indian dressing room, Virat Kohli held a press conference and came clear on his alleged issues with Rohit Sharma. He further claimed that he hasn’t asked for rest for the upcoming SA tour.
The development comes after the rumour mill was buzzing with reports that claimed that Kohli will be not available for the ODI series due to ‘personal reasons. Several reports suggested that Kohli will be asking for a personal leave of absence from the board as his daughter Vamika will be turning 1-year-old in January 2022.
Speaking on the matter, Kohli was quoted saying, “I was and I am available for selection. I haven’t had any communication with BCCI where I have asked for any break.”
Background
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli – two titans of Indian cricket, and perhaps, two sides of the same coin. While Kohli has helped his team become the best in Test and one of the best in ODIs, his form as a batsman has been underwhelming.
Meanwhile, Sharma, who has been having a great run as an opener – both in Mumbai Indians and Team India, is yet to play as many ODIs, Tests or T20s as captain for his team. Two sides – same coin.
Sharma and Kohli made their debuts in 2007 and 2008 respectively, and since then, have concreted their places in the Indian team. But, the rumours on the rift between the two titans, although unfounded and never publicly admitted, has been making the rounds of the social media and news publications since the past couple of years.
To curb the rumors once and for all, Virat Kohli held a press conference recently.
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The Facts of the Matter
Ever since hitman Rohit Sharma has replaced skipper Kohli as the ODI captain, rumours are suggesting a fallout between the two superstars of Indian cricket. With one rumour leading to multiple reports, Virat Kohli decided to take control of the narrative and held a press conference.
“Tired of Saying This For Over 2.5 Years..”: Kohli’s Blunt Statement
As anticipated, he was asked if there was a rift between him and Sharma or if everything was fine. The 33-year-old batsman quashed all such rumours with a strong worded statement. “There is no problem between me and Rohit Sharma. I’m tired of saying these things for over 2.5 years. Whatever I’ll do will never be to take the team downwards. There is no issue between Rohit and me,” Kohli was quoted saying.
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Will Kohli Miss Out on ODIs Against SA?
Meanwhile, a day after it was announced that Rohit Sharma will be missing out from India’s Test team for the matches against South Africa, it was also rumoured that Kohli will be missing out on ODIs. On this, Kohli asked the interviewers to ask about the speculation to those who’re spreading the rumours.”
“I am available for selection in the ODIs. You should honestly ask these questions to the sources who are writing all this. There were certain things that came out in the past which said that I was attending events but there is nothing like that and those are not credible.”
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“Was and Am Available for Selection: Virat Kohli Squashes All Rumours
He further added, “I was and I am available for selection. I haven’t had any communication with BCCI where I have asked for any break. I am available for selection for ODIs in South Africa. People are writing lies. I have never asked for rest.”
