Former India captain Virat Kohli seems to be getting back to his old self after an extended run of poor form. Rejuvenated after a short break, Kohli has scored two consecutive fifties in the ongoing Asia Cup 2022 in the UAE.
The 33-year-old played a stellar knock of 60 runs off just 44 balls in the high-voltage Super Four match against Pakistan on Sunday. Although India lost the match, concerns over Kohli’s dwindling form have been allayed.
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After Pakistan’s win on Sunday, Kohli’s post-match press conference has grabbed the headlines. During the media interaction, Kohli dropped a bombshell by hinting that nobody reached out to him when he stepped down from the captaincy duties in Test cricket earlier this year.
Kohli revealed that the legendary MS Dhoni was the only one who texted him personally.
The prolific batter also stated that while many cricketers supported him publicly, no one contacted him directly to show their support.
“I can tell you one thing. When I left Test captaincy, I got a message from only one person with whom I had played earlier, and that is MS Dhoni. Many people have my number and a lot of people gave suggestions on TV. They have a lot to say but all those who had my number, no one messaged me,” Kohli was quoted as saying.
His comments have stirred up a hornet’s nest. There were plenty of speculations regarding a rift between Kohli and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). Therefore, Kohli’s recent comments have added fuel to the fire.
However, a BCCI official has dismissed Kohli’s comments and stated that the batter always had the backing of everyone on the board.
According to a report in InsideSport, a BCCI official said, “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 even granted a break to rejuvenate. 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.”
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