'If you want controversy tell me before, I'll answer accordingly' - Virat Kohli after journalist asks if Ishan Kishan should've played in place of Rohit Sharma

Shaheen Shah Afridi was on point with his bowling today against India in the powerplay. He managed to exploit the exact issue which experts have been talking about with Rohit Sharma’s batting. If there is any sort of weakness that he has is with the ball that pitches and nips back into him. If it is a fuller length, it invites more and more trouble. Shaheen got a yorker. 

It was the very first ball that he faced and Shaheen managed to pitch it right up and get his leg before wicket off the very first ball. He then got the wicket of KL Rahul in his next over. His spell was possibly the reason why Pakistan managed to have a say in the first five overs of the game and India never really made a comeback.

After the match, Indian skipper Virat Kohli was asked by a journalist if there was a need to back Ishan Kishan at the top of the order given his form. He in fact went ahead and talked about dropping or leaving Rohit out of the XI ahead of this game. However, Kohli sensed the moment and gave a perfect reply, but mostly his face was filled with surprise and disbelief at what the journalist had said. 

Kohli laughs while answering the question

Kohli gave a look first before going ahead and saying, “It is a very brave question, what do you think sir? Because I played the XI I thought was the best. What do you think? What is your opinion? You will drop Rohit Sharma from T20 internationals? Do you know what he did in the last game?” Kohli said before taking a pause. 

After a brief sigh, Kohli just started laughing and said, “Unbelievable. Sir, if you want controversy, tell me before so that I can answer accordingly.” Kohli had a smile through and through on his face but surely, the question of the journalist had given him a bit of shock. However, this added another classic chapter in the book named ‘Kohli vs Journalists at the presser.’

There were a few more questions that were simply, well, ‘questionable’. The very next question was if India was overconfident, but Kohli was in quite a generous mood and it seemed that this was about giving classy replies, as the honest Indian captain, who has just lost one of the biggest matches of the calendar. 

Here’s the video:

"Will you drop Rohit Sharma from T20Is?" 🤔@imVkohli had no time for this question following #India's loss to #Pakistan.#INDvPAK #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/sLbrq7z2PW

— ICC (@ICC) October 25, 2021