Virat Kohli vehemently denied that there was a problem within the Indian camp © AFP
“There are no issues whatsoever.” That is the no-nonsense verdict of the India captain Virat Kohli to reports that he is at the centre of a rift with coach Anil Kumble.
“See, there has been a lot of speculation, and a lot of things being written by people without actually being a part of the changing room, which is very strange,” Kohli said on the eve of Indias first game of the tournament, against Pakistan at Edgbaston. “There are no problems whatsoever. The team is totally focused on the Champions Trophy.”
Kohli said his relationship with Kumble had been good over the last year, when India won every series apart from the T20Is against West Indies in the USA. “It’s been really good. The whole journey has been good.”
He said there could always be disagreements on cricket, but said that honest differences was a sign of progress, and urged the media to report more responsibly. “In any walk of life there are agreements and disagreements always. If you don’t have knowledge of something, unless I am there myself in a particular situation and I am aware of what is happening, I will not pass any comment. I will not pass any judgment.
“I think in India there is a lack of patience. People speculate from a distance. They apply their own idea. And when that thing does not happen nobody admits his mistake. That is why I do not focus on these issues. If you write something you should take the ownership that I was wrong.
“These are normal things. Even at the home you do not agree on everything with your family. The people who speculate should also think do you agree on everything in every situation. It is not possible. All I can say is if you do not have the knowledge about something do not spread rumours, do not speculate and focus on the cricket.”
More to follow …
Nagraj Gollapudi is a senior assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo
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Source: ESPN Crickinfo