Team India head coach Rahul Dravid opened up on verbal altercation between Rohit Sharma and Mohammad Nabi during the final T20I of the three-match series against Afghanistan in Bengaluru on Wednesday, January 17.
Rohit and Nabi were involved in a heated discussion after the ball deflected off the latter's pads during a run between wickets. The incident occurred in the first Super Over after both teams played out a tie. The deflection happened from wicketkeeper Sanju Samson's throw, which saw the ball hit Mohammad Nabi's pads and went towards Virat Kohli at long on.
Much to the disgust of Rohit Sharma, Nabi took the advantage of deflection of the ball by taking extra runs. Even Virat Kohli at long on was unhappy with Afghanistan all-rounder's attempt for extra runs.
Speaking to the Press Conference post series win, Rahul Dravid played down the altercation between Rohit Sharma and Mohammad Nabi as he believes it is normal while playing for the country. He revealed even his player took an advantage by taking extra runs after the ball hit the bat during the first T20I.
"It can happen at the end. I think sometimes when you play for your country, there's so much passion and emotion. I think it is incredible that even in dead-rubber games when it gets down to the wire, that competitiveness comes out, that passion comes out." Team India head coach head said.
"It's fine. It's part of the game. Some frustrations at times can happen but it is okay. It hit the non-striker and then it moved and I think it is fine, you know, you can run for those."
"To be honest, in the first T20I there was an incident where it hit the bat of our batsman and we ran a run as well. I think there's nothing to read into, there's nothing in the rules that stops you from actually running those runs. That's fine, it's part of the game," he added.
