The culture in our dressing room is fantastic, says Virat Kohli

What’s the story?

Ahead of the first Test match against Sri Lanka, Indian captain Virat Kohli exuded positivity when he addressed the media.

The captain spoke on a range of issues ranging from the team combination to the injury issues in the team. He also expressed a lot of satisfaction with the camaraderie within the team and said that this has given him immense happiness.

"Just to see the responsibility taken by such a young bunch of players; to go out there and make a difference for the team. Even the substitutes, their efforts, their energy, their concerns for the team when they are running in to provide to with the essentials. It's great to see them also almost feeling like they are part of the playing XI that's on the field. That's the kind of culture that has been created," Kohli said.

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The Details

Kohli also spoke about the culture within the dressing room when he said that any youngster stepping into the dressing room never feels out of place and is immediately absorbed by the group.

The captain was beaming with pride when he spoke about the close bond shared by his players and also said that every member of the side works closely with each other at all times.

Apart from this, Kohli also spoke about how the team never throws in the towel and even when the odds are stacked heavily against them, the team sticks together and believe they can turn it all around.

In case you didn’t know...

During the tumultuous Anil Kumble-Virat Kohli fiasco, there were several reports which suggested that the dressing room is not a happy place to be in and that there may be several factions within the team.

However, back in Kohli said that he does not want to speak about what goes around in the dressing room as he believes in maintaining the sanctity of the place and that the talks should never be discussed out in the public.

What's next?

India will take on hosts Sri Lanka in the first of the 3-Test matches at Galle on July 26. This will be the first assignment under Ravi Shastri and the coach and captain would want to start their innings with the perfect performance on the field to dispell all the negativity which engulfed the entire coach appointment process.

Also, this match is R Ashwin's 50th Test match and the off spinner would want to make the most out of this special occasion.

Author's Take

There is little doubt that Virat Kohli speaks whatever is in his mind and this positive intent before the start of a long series augurs well not only for him but also for the team which can now rally around their captain.

Kohli too deserves praise for bestowing praise on his teammates which can only act as a huge boost for the young players coming into the team.