Chetan Sharma sees Virat Kohli as a cherished member of his family

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 18:06:46 GMT

Chetan Sharma’s association with Virat Kohli raised eyebrows during his tenure as the Chairman of Selectors for the BCCI. Appointed to lead an expert panel, he assumed the role in December 2020 but faced a swift removal in November 2022 following India’s exit from the T20 Cricket World Cup.

Sharma’s second stint as the chairman of the national selection committee lasted merely around 40 days. His resignation came three days after a controversial sting operation by Zee News, where he unwittingly discussed various cricket-related matters, including the contentious removal of Virat Kohli as ODI skipper in late 2021.

Unaware that his position as chief selector was at risk during the hidden camera expose, Sharma candidly touched on topics such as Rohit Sharma’s perceived dim prospects in T20 cricket, suggesting that players like Hardik Pandya spent hours at home and insinuating that some Indian cricketers took injections to portray themselves as fully fit.

In a recent interaction with News 24, the former chairman of selectors addressed various issues in Indian cricket and clarified that his relationship with Kohli was misunderstood by the public.

In reference to Virat Kohli, Sharma expressed, “Dekhiye Virat bacche ki tarah hai (Virat is like my own son). He has played from Delhi as well. He is very dear to me and much younger than me. I am always delighted when someone is hailed as the legend of his country. I extend my best wishes to him for all his future endeavors,” remarked Sharma.

Chetan Sharma Expresses Hope for Virat Kohli to Hit a Century Upon His Return

He expressed additional optimism that Kohli would make a significant score upon his return to the Indian cricket team after the second Test. Currently absent from the team due to personal reasons, Kohli has been temporarily replaced by Rajat Patidar.

“I hope Kohli scores a century upon his return in the third Test against England. Additionally, I am optimistic that he edges closer to achieving his target of a hundred international centuries. I eagerly await that moment,” concluded Sharma.

In the meantime, India suffered a setback, losing the first Test against England by 28 runs despite securing a lead of 190 in the initial innings. The team struggled to chase down the target of 231, notably in the absence of Virat Kohli, who had informed the BCCI about his unavailability for the first two Tests due to personal reasons.

As India heads into the second Test in Vizag, the team will be dealing with the absence of KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja due to injuries. This poses a significant setback for India, especially considering the prior unavailability of Virat Kohli and Mohammed Shami.

In response to the injury concerns, Sarfaraz Khan received his maiden call-up to the Indian team ahead of the second Test against England. Joining him are Washington Sundar and Saurabh Kumar, added to the squad as replacements for the injured KL Rahul and Ravindra Jadeja. Sarfaraz has been enlisted as a substitute for Rahul, while Sundar is considered a potential replacement for Jadeja.