Team India divided? Report claims rift in Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma camps, bias towards 'favourite' players
According to the report, many players are also not happy with the unilateral decisions made by captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri.
Team India returns home on Sunday after losing the ICC Cricket World Cup 2019 semifinal to New Zealand by 18 runs on Wednesday. The result was particularly disappointing given that the team lost just one match during the league stage.
Meanwhile, soon after India's exit from World Cup, reports have emerged claiming a rift in the team between factions following Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Dainik Jagran, quoting a Team India player, has reported that the there are two factions within the squad - one close to captain Virat Kohli and another following vice-captain Rohit Sharma.
According to the report, many players are also not happy with the unilateral decisions made by captain Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri. One such decision was the selection of Vijay Shankar over Ambati Rayudu for the World Cup squad.
According to the report, there are players who are given preference in the team and more chances as they are the favourite of the captain Virat Kohli. The report, quoting a player, said that apart from the players like Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah who are can not be ignored due to their performances, those close to Kohli get preference in team selection. The report added that there are two factions within the team with the other one closer to Rohit. (Image: Reuters)
The report also claimed that the decisions and approach of Ravi Shastri and Virat Kohli is not unopposed as players are afraid of losing their spot in the team. It also suggests that the captain enjoys the support of Vinod Rai, chief of Supreme Court-backed CoA. (Image: AFP)
The report also added that the team is unhappy with head coach Ravi Shastri and bowling coach Bharat Arun. It claimed that many players now want the duo to leave. Shastri was appointed as the coach after Anil Kumble was forced to resign from his role following an alleged rift with Kohli in 2017. (Image: Reuters)