IND vs SA | People should not jump to conclusions, says Sunil Gavaskar on alleged Kohli-Rohit rift
Virat Kohli was stripped off ODI captaincy ahead of India's tour of South Africa
|Former India cricketer Sunil Gavaskar has opined that people should not jump to conclusions regarding the alleged rift between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli ahead of the South Africa series. He also added that it is unfair to draw conclusions out of the situation without having the exact information.
India are supposed to tour South Africa for three Tests and three ODIs starting from December 26. However, there are speculations about the rift between two star players in the team before going into the series. Virat Kohli was stripped of his ODI captaincy for the series and Rohit Sharma became his successor. Rohit will miss the Test series due to hamstring injury.
According to several reports, India Test captain Virat Kohli might skip the ODI series due to his daughter’s first birthday as he wants to spend some time with his family on the occasion. Nothing has been confirmed by the BCCI or players about it. With such reports doing rounds, there are also talks of rift between Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli. Former India cricketer Mohammed Azharuddin tweeted on the matter and criticized Kohli's timing for taking a break as it might substantiate speculation about the rift.
Former cricketing great, Sunil Gavaskar, has said that people should not jump to conclusions without having all the relevant information. He also added that Azharuddin should reveal the truth if he have any inside information on what has happened.
"The question is, 'is there anything simmering at all (between Kohli and Rohit)?'. Unless both the players come out with something, we should not jump to conclusions. Yes, Azharuddin has said something but if he has got some inside information about what has happened then he should be coming out and telling us what happened,” Gavaskar said to India Today.
"Till then, I will give the benefit of the doubt to both the players. Because both have served Indian cricket brilliantly and I don't think it is fair at all for any one of us, without having exact information, to be pointing fingers at either of them.”
Gavaskar also felt that Virat Kohli's statement in his official T20I captaincy resignation might have upset the officials, and that it could have been put in a better way.
“I think I also saw the release (by Kohli) because it was in the public domain,” he said. “I think you know the way it was put across, it might have upset the ones in power. If I remember correctly it said - `I will continue to lead India in Test and ODIs.’”
“I think that line could have been changed to - ‘I would be available to lead India in Test and ODIs.’”
Kohli and Rohit last played together in the T20 World Cup 2021 where India were knocked out in the Super 12s stage. India will tour South Africa for three Tests from December 26 and as many ODIs from January 19.
