Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli are two of the most influential and senior players in the India team, there have been various speculations of a rift between them ever since the end of the 2019 ODI World Cup.
In a recent turn of events, former Indian fielding coach R Sridhar revealed how things were actually starting to go south between Rohit and Kohli after the World Cup.
“After the 2019 World Cup, there was a lot of bad press about what allegedly happened in the dressing room during our campaign and following our loss to New Zealand in the semifinal. We were informed that there was a Rohit camp and a Virat camp, and that someone had unfollowed another on social media—stuff that could be unsettling if you allowed it to fester,” Sridhar wrote in his book ‘Coaching Beyond’.
‘Put all this behind’ – R Sridhar reveals Ravi Shatri’s message to Rohit, Kohli
Sridhar also mentioned that after the World Cup, Team India travelled to the USA for a T20 series against the West Indies. The former coach’s first order of business was to call both Kohli and Rohit and assist them in finding a solution to the reported squabble, which, according to Sridhar, was nothing to be concerned about in the first place.
“We landed in the United States (US) some 10 days after the World Cup for a T20 series against the West Indies in Lauderhill. One of the first things Ravi [Shastri, the then head coach] did on his arrival was to call Virat and Rohit to his room and impress upon them that for Indian cricket to be healthy, they needed to be on the same page. ‘Whatever happened on social media, that’s all fine, but you two are the most senior cricketers, so this must stop,’ Ravi said in his typical no-nonsense manner. ‘I want you to put all this behind you and get together for us to move forward.” Sridhar further wrote.
