Virat Kohli should be retained as India captain in the immediate future, Pakistan speedster Shoaib Akhtar said on Thursday. He said India should focus on improving their cricket team’s coaching set-up and their selection committee instead of tinkering with the dynamics of the India dressing room.
Speaking on his Youtube channel, Akhtar said, “I think Virat Kohli shouldn’t be removed as the captain because a lot has been invested in him. He has been the captain for the last 3-4 years. What he needs is a better coach, better selection committee and he can be made better.”
“I have no doubts that Rohit is a good captain and he has done a good job in IPL but I think an investment has been made and that investment can be made better with a slight tweak. Virat Kohli is a sensible choice to carry on. I think it will be foolish to remove Kohli from captaincy,” he said.
After India’s ouster from the World Cup, stories of fissures in the Indian camp emerged, with claims that Rohit and Kohli are not seeing eye to eye.
Ahead of the Indian team’s departure to the United States on Monday, Kohli categorically refuted rumours of a rift with his deputy Rohit, saying “people feeding off lies” are being disrespectful to the players’ personal lives.
Coach Ravi Shastri too had rubbished the reports of differences between the two star players.
On this supposed controversy, Akhtar said, “There is a talk going on in India that the team is divided into into groups because of the reported rift between Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma. I guess Rohit wants to become the captain and Virat is coming in his way but I don’t think these rumours are true.”
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