Indian Test skipper Virat Kohli, on Wednesday (December 15), addressed the media prior to the Indian cricket team’s departure for the South Africa tour, starting with a Test match on December 26.
Kohli gave a straightforward response during the press conference when he was asked whether all was not well between him and India’s new limited-overs captain, Rohit Sharma after he was stripped off from the ODI captaincy of Team India last week.
There were reports of an alleged rift between Kohli and Rohit, especially after reports emerged of the Test skipper allegedly telling the BCCI about his skipping a three-match ODI series in South Africa days after the opener replaced him as ODI captain.
However, before departing for his South Africa tour, Kohli dismissed the rumors, insisting that there was no love between him and Rohit and that he was simply tired of clarifying the situation.
Kohli said in the press conference on Wednesday: “I have been saying this for the past two years and now I am tired of clarifying this. There’s no problem between me and Rohit.”
The right-hander also revealed that he came to know of Rohit replacing him as ODI captain just one-and-a-half hours before the Test squad for South Africa tour was announced.
He further added, “I was contacted one-and-a-half hours before the Test team selection. There was no prior communication. The chief selector discussed the Test with me. Before the call ended I was told that the 5 selectors have decided that I won't be ODI captain anymore and I said fine. There was no prior communication about this.”
Kohli further said that his role as a senior player will continue to push the Indian team forward and added that Rohit and head coach Rahul Dravid will have his full support.
He said, “My responsibility is to push the team in the forward direction. Rohit is a very able captain and tactically very sound as we have seen when he has captained in the past. Along with Rahul bhai, who is a great man-manager. They will get my 100 percent support going forward in ODIs and T20Is.”
The skipper signed off by saying that he will be available for the three-match ODI series in South Africa and he had never asked for a break.
(With News18/IANS Inputs)
