Quarantine, bio-secure bubbles improved bond between Kohli and Rohit: Report
Life inside bio-secure bubbles amid the COVID-19 pandemic hasn't been easy for the cricket fraternity globally. While its heat has impacted the on-field performance of players at some stage, the time spent in quarantine also helped them rejuvenate. As per a report in TOI, a source stated that the off-field equation between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma has improved recently. Here is more.
Kohli and Rohit have been in sync lately
According to the report, both Kohli and Rohit sat down and "talked it out" during the series against England. In past, there have been reports of the two senior batsmen not getting along in the dressing room. However, it is understood that the duo is now in sync with respect to the responsibilities and upcoming challenges.
A great deal of personal bonding has happened: Source
Speaking on the same, a source 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're more in sync now than ever." "They understand now, more than ever, that the team will only benefit if they find themselves on the same page."
'Kohli and Rohit had disagreements'
The source highlighted how the outside chatter had put them on loggerheads. "It's been the story of Indian cricket, of vested interests, taking advantage of rivalries between players," the source added. "Virat and Rohit 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."
Kohli and Rohit punished the English bowlers in 5th T20I
Kohli and Rohit make up one of the best batting pairs in modern-day cricket across formats. They recently came into the act in the final T20I against England when Kohli decided to open. The duo shared 94 runs, with Rohit firing 64 and Kohli finishing with an unbeaten 80. As a result, India put up 224/2, and defended the score eventually.
A look at their partnership runs in international cricket
As a batting pair, Kohli and Rohit have scored 6,766 runs between them in 125 international matches at a phenomenal average of 56.85. In ODIs, they have third-most partnership runs (4,906) by an Indian pair. Interestingly, they have second-most century-stands (18) among Indians.
Kohli and Rohit starred during England series
Both Kohli and Rohit were pivotal for India in the three-format series against England. Kohli aggregated 231 runs in T20Is, most by any player in a five-match T20I series. Earlier, Rohit starred in Tests, finishing as India's leading run-getter (345). Interestingly, it was observed that Kohli allowed Rohit to captain at the fag end of white-ball games, whenever India attempted to defend a total.
Kohli will likely lead India in the T20 World Cup
The rivalry between Kohli and Rohit has also existed in terms of captaincy. After the completion of IPL 2020, several experts opined that Rohit should lead India in white-ball cricket going forward. Many believe that split-captaincy can easily increase the career span of Kohli in international cricket. However, considering the present scenario, Kohli appears to be leading India in the impending T20 World Cup.
