'A Very Human And Normal Thing...': Shikhar Dhawan Breaks Silence On Virat Kohli vs Rohit Sharma Rift Rumors
Team India's dressing room was reportedly divided into 'Virat camp and Rohit camp' after India's heartbreaking semi-final exit in the 2019 ODI World Cup.
Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli, the senior most and integral batters in the current Indian cricket team setup, have been representing the Indian cricket team since 2008. The formidable batting duo share a great bond. However, after India's heartbreaking semi-final exit in the 2019 ODI World Cup, reportedly a rift started between the two cricketing greats, resulting in the dressing room getting divided into 'Virat camp and Rohit camp'.
Meanwhile, senior India opener Shikhar Dhawan opened up on the rift rumors between Virat and Rohit.
"It’s a very human and normal thing to have egos. We are together for (almost) 220 days. Sometimes there are misunderstandings between people. It’s the same with us as well. I am not speaking about Rohit (Sharma) or Virat (Kohli), but a general thing," Dhawan told Aaj Tak in an interaction.
"We have a 40-member team, which includes support staff and managers. There could be some clashes and times when you are not happy with someone. It happens. And why not? When things improve, the love also increases," he added.
Coach Ravi Shastri's stern warning to Virat & Rohit
Former India fielding coach R Sridhar in his book 'Coaching Beyond: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team' had revealed how ex-India head coach Ravi Shastri took over hold of things to resolve the matter and issued a stern warning to Virat and Rohit.
"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, 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: My Days with the Indian Cricket Team.'
"We landed in the United States (US) some 10 days after the World Cup for a T20 series against West Indies in Lauderhill. One of the first things Ravi did on 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 non-nonsense manner. 'I want you to put all this behind and get together for us to move forward," he added.
Sridhar explained how Shastri's stern warning to Virat and Rohit had an immediate effect.
"You could see that things started to get better after that. Ravi's action was swift, simple and decisive. It was just getting both the guys together, sitting them down and making them talk. Ravi didn't waste any time in doing so.
"That he felt encouraged to call the white-ball captain and his deputy to clearly state his mind is indicative of the kind of atmosphere we had facilitated. That Virat and Rohit saw reason in Ravi's stance and immediately got down to business was the ultimate tribute to our culture 'one for all, all for one, but team above all'," Sridhar explained.
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