Former Indian cricketer Sanjay Manjrekar has said that the ‘environment’ that Virat Kohli recently spoke about is the one which he was comfortable in and once the management changed, the latter became uncomfortable in the setup, with Manjrekar indicating a rift between Kohli and head coach Gautam Gambhir.
The former Indian cricketer’s remarks came after Kohli expressed frustration over feeling the need to prove himself every time he dons the Indian jersey. Speaking on Sportstar’s Inside Edge podcast, Manjrekar hinted at an uneasy equation between Kohli and the current team management, suggesting that the ‘environment’ the ex-India skipper referred to pointed towards the coach-selector combination.
Kohli has made it clear that he will continue
playing international cricket only as long as he feels valued and respected within the team setup. Speaking on the RCB Podcast, he stressed that he has no interest in being part of an environment where he has to ‘prove his worth’ or justify his place in the team.
“Environment. Now, it is important because I don’t think anybody will be looking to read between the lines here. So I might as well be the bad guy here. So, environment, what is he trying to say? It is very easy to see,” Manjrekar said.
“When he was with Ravi Shastri as captain and when he was a player as well, Ravi Shastri was right behind him, motivating him and backing him no matter what, a bit too much,” Manjrekar added.
The former Indian cricketer said that the environment changed with Rahul Dravid’s departure and Gambhir’s arrival, suggesting that Kohli may no longer have felt as comfortable as he once did.
“A certain chairman of selectors came in as well, a guy who has his own view and is a very self-respecting, strong individual. His plans for Indian cricket differ from those of the selectors previously,” Manjrekar said.
