‘The game has given you everything’ – Virender Sehwag’s ex-coach slams Virat Kohli for taking paternity leave from Australia tour

Former Indian cricketer Virender Sehwag’s ex-coach AN Sharma reckons that Virat Kohli shouldn’t have taken the paternity leave from the tour of Australia. The 32-year-old Kohli played the ODI and T20I series and the opening Day-Night Test at the Adelaide Oval that India lost by eight wickets.

The Delhi-born would now be spending time with his wife Anushka Sharma, also a Bollywood actress, who’s due to give birth in the month of January. Back in August, Virat and Anushka spilt the beans over the latter’s pregnancy.

Sharma was clear cut in saying that Kohli should have stayed with the team and Virender Sehwag wouldn’t have taken the break in the same situation.

I don’t agree with Virat Kohli, says Sehwag’s ex-coach

“Sehwag would have never returned from a tour. The game has given you everything. Sachin Tendulkar returned to play the World Cup (1999) within two days of his father’s death. I can give it to you in writing that Sehwag would have never returned as cricket comes first for him,” Sharma was quoted as saying to Sportskeeda’s Indranil Basu.

“I don’t agree with Virat Kohli. He should have stayed with the team, he should have worked with the team and continued as the captain. He’s a brilliant captain and a brilliant cricketer,” he stated.

From the month of March to the second half of September, Virat didn’t have any cricket to play as the COVID-19 pandemic brought every other cricketing event to a halt. Sharma stated that Kohli shouldn’t have opted for the break after staying away from the game.

“You can occasionally take a break from the sport when you are playing at the top level. Because of the COVID-19 situation, everything came to a halt and cricket just started. If anyone takes a break after such a long break then what’s the fun?” questioned Sharma.

In the pink-ball Test, Virat was the only Indian batter to notch a half-century. In his absence, Ajinkya Rahane, the Test vice-captain, would be donning the skipper’s hat. The second Test gets underway on December 26 at the iconic Melbourne Cricket Ground.

India also won’t be having the services of fast bowler Mohammed Shami, who has been ruled out due to a fractured forearm.