Virat Kohli must have some regrets, but time heals wounds, says Saba Karim
Former India cricketer Saba Karim has said that Virat Kohli must have some regrets but time heals wounds after he stepped down from the Test captaincy post South Africa series. Karim further added that Rohit Sharma will have to take ‘extra step’ and explain his plan of attack for future to Kohli.
Virat Kohli recently stepped down from Test captaincy after the South Africa series where India lost by 1-2. He has now left captaincy of all the formats and Rohit Sharma is leading the Indian side in limited overs. In Tests, his successor is yet to be decided by selectors but Rohit seems to be the frontrunner for the post.
Sharing his views on the leadership shift, Saba Karim has said that Kohli needs to make extra efforts to build rapport with current leadership group of captain Rohit and coach Rahul Dravid.
"Virat Kohli will need to make extra efforts. He must be having some regrets, I am sure, but time heals wounds. I think Virat is experienced enough and mature to deal with it. We should see it on the ground soon," said Karim on the Khelneeti podcast.
There have been several reports of the rift between Rohit and Kohli. However, Kohli had clarified the speculation was not true before the South Africa series. Karim opined that Rohit should take extra step as a captain and he should explain his plan of attack to Kohli,
“Being captain, Rohit Sharma will need to take that extra step. He and Rahul Dravid will need to explain to Kohli the thought process and culture they want to bring in. They can seek inputs from Kohli over the same. At the end of the day, both Kohli and Rohit need to look at the big picture and think about the ultimate team goals,” he concluded.
“If both players are on the same page, things will become very easy. If issues crop up between them, the dressing room environment will go down quickly. So it is very important for both of them to work together.”