‘Will Respect Govt Decision’: Kohli on India-Pak World Cup Clash

The Indian captain echoes the thoughts of coach Ravi Shastri on the topic of nationwide debate.

Indian captain Virat Kohli addresses the media ahead of the first T20I against Australia at Visakhapatnam.

(Photo: ANI)

Indian captain Virat Kohli on Saturday, 23 February, said his team will “respect the decision of the government” with regards to playing Pakistan at the upcoming ICC World Cup in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack which martyred 40 CRPF personnel.

Calls for a boycott of the 16 June face-off against the arch-rivals at the World Cup have grown louder by the day, but the Indian cricket board has not taken a call, putting the ball in the government’s court.

“Our stand is simple. We stick by what the nation wants to do and what the BCCI decides to do. Whatever the government and the board decide, we will eventually go by that and will respect that.”

Virat Kohli

Kohli offered condolences on behalf of the entire Indian team to the families of the martyred soldiers.

“Our sincere condolences to the families of the soldiers who lost their lives. The Indian team is really shocked and sad about what happened,” he said.

Kohli's stand is pretty similar to what chief coach Ravi Shastri echoed in an interview to a television channel where he said that the team will “accept whatever decision that the government takes.”

“It is entirely left to the BCCI and the government. They know exactly what is happening and they will take a call. We will go by what they decide. If the government says it’s that sensitive you don’t need to play the World Cup, I will go by my government.”

Ravi Shastri to <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VhqO5Anrpn4">Mirror Now</a>

On Friday, 22 February, the CoA-led BCCI decided against taking any stand on the World Cup clash against Pakistan, but urged the ICC and other nations to “sever ties” with countries from where “terrorism emanates”.

Opinion seems to be divided among the Indian cricket fraternity, with Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar saying they wish to see India play and beat Pakistan to deny their neighbours any leeway in the tournament.

Former captains Sourav Ganguly and Mohammed Azharuddin, along with 2011 World Cup winner Harbhajan Singh, however, have supported the calls for a boycott of sporting ties with Pakistan.

(With inputs from PTI)