IND vs WI | Rohit Sharma’s statement on Virat Kohli should have come sooner, says Atul Wassan
Rohit Sharma backed Virat Kohli for his form in the pre-series press conference.
|Former India cricketer Atul Wassan is of opinion that Rohit Sharma’s statement backing Virat Kohli should have come much earlier before there were rumors of the rift between both of them. Rohit had recently backed Kohli in a recent pre-series press conference for T20I series against West Indies.
India is set to play a three-match T20I series against West Indies starting from February 16 in Kolkata at the Eden Gardens. The team won the ODI series by 3-0. However, the series was not so satisfying for the former India captain Virat Kohli as he was not able to score a half-century even once. In the press conference before the T20I series, captain Rohit Sharma had backed Kohli on a question by media regarding his form saying ‘If you guys (journalists) can keep it quiet for a while, everything will fall into place’.
Former India cricketer Atul Wassan is of the opinion that Rohit’s statement should have come much earlier before the rumors of the rift between him and Kohli have emerged.
"I think this should have come sooner because the rumors emanating from the Indian dressing room and camp that there is a rift between Rohit and Virat which is unfounded and I think every player has got some issues and it doesn't mean that they try to perform and under-perform when somebody else is the captain,” Wassan said to ANI.
“I think this was historically done when Bishan Singh Bedi versus Sunil Gavaskar and Kapil Dev versus Sunil Gavaskar used to happen. These guys are professionals these days. They play with each other, against each other and they play around. IPL is a perfect example. So, I think they travel so many months of the year together.”
Wassan has also stated that Rohit has done the right thing by backing Kohli.
"So, I think they live like families. So, some kind of proximity breeds contempt that is pretty true. Something might happen but that should not be blown out of proportion that it should hamper the team's morale Rohit has done the right thing by coming out in the open and I agree that there is too much chatter about Virat and it is natural,” he explained.
Kohli has been unable to score a century in international cricket since November 2019. He managed to score just 26 runs in three innings in the recently concluded ODI series against West Indies. Wassan backed Kohli to bounce back to form and solve his issues.
“You know the kind of brilliant player he has been and the kind of shots he has invented. Especially the one from outside the off stump into the mid-wicket area for the fast bowlers that can happen when you are in the prime of your youth between 28 to 30,” he stated
“When I was talking to Kapil Dev eyesight suddenly drops and suddenly you find the shots you are missing. If he is a great player like Tendulkar like when he had a tennis elbow then he corrected himself and he started the bottom hand play. So, he changed his technique to survive another few years and I am sure Virat will do that too."
All the fixtures of the series are to be played in Kolkata and the series is also looked upon as a preparation for the T20 World Cup to be held in Australia later this year.
