Virat Kohli: “No one except MS Dhoni messaged me during my low phase after I quit Test captaincy”
Virat Kohli said in a press conference he’s “excited” and “having fun” playing cricket, but he wasn’t long ago. As he previously stated, he was “faking his intensity a little,” and the weariness and everything else built up and took a mental toll on him. After leading India to a defeat against Pakistan in the Asia Cup on Sunday night, he also stated that, other from MS Dhoni, no one made an effort to reach out to him when he was going through a hard patch.
Kohli stood down as T20 captain after the World Cup, and he was dismissed as ODI captain the following year because selectors wanted the same captain for white-ball formats. Kohli then resigned as Test captain following a series loss to South Africa.
There was a lot of speculation about Virat Kohli’s fitness before of the Asia Cup, but a month off has worked miracles for the former captain, who is back in full swing in the present sub-continental event. So far, the right-handed batsman has scored 154 runs in three matches, with his top score of 60 coming in the Super 4 stage against Pakistan on Sunday. Team India lost the match by five wickets in a thriller and will now face Sri Lanka on Tuesday at the same stadium.
The 33-year-old hitter further alleged that while many people openly backed him, no one approached him individually to express their support. There was much talk of a schism between him and India’s Board of Control for Cricket (BCCI). Following the completion of the Indian Premier League 2022 season, the player missed a number of matches, generating more speculation regarding his relationship with the board and administration.
“When I stepped down as Test captain, I only received one text, and I had previously played with that individual. That individual is MS Dhoni; no one else contacted me. Many people know my phone number, and many people give me advice on TV,” Kohli told reporters.
“I simply want to stress that if I need to notify someone about their game, I reach out to them individually.” “Even if I have to help someone personally,” Kohli said following India’s loss to Pakistan in the Asia Cup 2022 Super 4 game in Dubai. “It doesn’t mean anything to me if you make a recommendation in front of the entire globe.” If you need to make a suggestion to me, you can speak with me one-on-one. You sincerely want me to succeed. I lead my life with a lot of honesty.”
💬💬 "We have a healthy team environment and I'd like to give credit to the Captain and team management for the same," @imVkohli on the team morale 👍#AsiaCup2022 pic.twitter.com/nvJ3jA3kNs
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 5, 2022
According to recent reports, a BCCI insider indicated that Kohli has always had the support of the whole board. He further added that the BCCI has recently offered him breaks and rests and that he does not understand what the player is talking about.
“Virat has had the backing of everyone. From his teammates to everyone at the BCCI. To say that he did not get the support, is not true. He was granted a break to rejuvenate, he got frequent rest. Even everyone at BCCI wished him on social media when he stepped down from Test captaincy. So, I don’t know what he is talking about,” a senior BCCI official stated.
