Talk of rift with Rohit baffling, ridiculous: Kohli

mumbai, July 29 

India captain Virat Kohli quashed reports of a rift with Rohit Sharma, calling the rumours “baffling” and “ridiculous” before the team’s departure for a tour of the West Indies. Since India’s exit in the semifinals of the ODI World Cup, reports of a crack in relations between Kohli and his limited-overs deputy Rohit have appeared in the media. “Even I have heard a lot of things in the last few days. You obviously get to hear these things from outside,” Kohli said. “If the team environment was not good, then the way we have been playing in the last two-three years, that would not have been possible. I know how much the dressing room atmosphere, the trust is essential in succeeding in international cricket so if that was not there, then whatever success we have achieved, would not have been possible,” he added. — Reuters

West Indies tour an opportunity for new guys in limited-overs format

MUMBAI: India skipper Virat Kohli said it will be a “very exciting opportunity” for the likes of Chahar brothers and Navdeep Saini to make a mark in the limited-overs format during the upcoming tour of the West Indies. India will play three T20Is, three ODIs and two tests against the West Indies with the series also marking the start of the World Test Championship for both teams. A number of players who are not a regular with the Indian team in either T20Is or ODIs made the limited-overs squads. Deepak and Rahul Chahar, Saini, Shreyas Iyer, Manish Pandey and Washington Sundar are a mixture of new and old faces to have been included in the squad for the limited-overs format. “When I met the selectors, the basic message from them was to try out a few players that they had in mind. I think it is a very exciting opportunity for all the guys who are stepping in for the first time,” Kohli said at the pre-departure press conference. “West Indies obviously is a great place to go and play cricket. It is a relaxed place, we all have enjoyed playing cricket there," he added. — pti

‘Will be definitely happy with Ravi bhai continuing as coach’ 

Mumbai: Captain Virat Kohli said he is in favour of Ravi Shastri (in pic) continuing as the head coach of the Indian cricket team despite the criticism they faced after making an exit from the semifinals of the ODI World Cup. The current support staff comprising incumbent head coach Ravi Shastri, bowling coach Bharat Arun, batting coach Sanjay Bangar and fielding coach R Sridhar were given a 45-day extension following the World Cup, covering the West Indies tour from August 3 to September 3. “Well, the Cricket Advisory Committee (CAC) headed by Kapil Dev has not contacted me on this. But all of us share a great camaraderie with Ravi bhai and would definitely be very happy to have him around,” Kohli said. Meanwhile, Praveen Amre has also applied for the post. — PTI