Who could have thought that the ‘bio-bubble’ imposed due to the Coronavirus pandemic would be the reason for Rohit Sharma and Virat Kohli’s renewed friendship. But that is precisely what happened according to a report in the media. The alleged rivalry between the two Herculean cricketers has been put to rest, as per a Times of India report.
The report suggests, the strict quarantine rules and a good series allowed the batsmen to bury the hatchet. Aided by the team management and coach- Ravi Shastri, the duo found time to sit across the table and “talk it out” in an attempt to end the alleged cold war.
A source quoted by the Times of India said, “Apart from winning two big series, that’s been the biggest gain inside the Team India dressing room. A great deal of personal bonding has happened in recent weeks and they are more in sync now than ever with regards to their cricket, the team, their responsibilities and the upcoming challenges. They understand now more than ever, that the team will only benefit if they find themselves on the same page. This has been the biggest takeaway in the last four months.”
Well, it does seem like an opportunity for cricket fans to cheer as possibilities of seeing a better and stronger team emerge with this renewed friendship.
The source added, “All the chatter from the outside was causing too much bitterness and all the hearsay was making things worse. It’s been the story of Indian cricket for far too long – of vested interests time and again taking advantage of rivalries between players. Like all professionals, Virat and Rohit too would have their disagreements from time to time. But until recently, they never thought of sitting down and talking it out with the kind of clarity that is now visible.”
From talking to each other in public to appearing in photographs together, the two have taken some concrete steps to make their bond obvious to the cricket world. The source also highlighted that Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma were seen in discussion a lot more in the last ODI series that India won against England.
Sources close to the team believe that this is no public-relations exercise but an honest attempt to shape their newfound friendship. “It’s the healthiest thing that could have happened to the team while staying in the bio-bubble”, said the source.
Kohli in an interview back in 2017, had dismissed the rumors of alleged rivalry between the two.
However, it will be interesting to see if the fans of Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma club would accept this friendship, with the two cricket firebrands coming together.
Meanwhile, Chloe-Amanda Bailey, an Australian cricket journalist who is also supremely famous among Indian cricket fans for her Indie connection and interest, tried to understand the reason for the rivalry between the two fan clubs.
Why do Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma fans dislike each other so much? They are both India? I need an explanation please. 🇦🇺🇮🇳 #AUSvIND pic.twitter.com/pKheSduMZZ
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) December 16, 2020
Well, victories tend to smoothen out all rough edges and one hopes this one would be smoothened up as well.
