WTC Final: Team India’s plan for New Zealand leaked? Virat Kohli & Ravi Shastri conversation goes viral, see here

Indian skiper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri address a virtual press conference. (Screengrab: BCCI)

Cricketing plans for opposition are some of the best kept secrets in a team but on Wednesday (June 2), possibly Team India’s plan for New Zealand in the World Test Championships (WTC) Final were laid bare due to a captain Virat Kohli and coach Ravi Shastri’s error. The WTC Final is set to take place at the Ageas Bowl in Southampton beginning on June 18 with the Indian cricket team departed for the United Kingdom via a charter flight on Wednesday night.

Both Shastri and Kohli didn’t have any idea that they were ‘live’ on a virtual press conference and were busy discussing their game plan in order to stand tall against Kane Williamson’s side. The audio of the same discussion went viral among fans and they started speculating India’s bowling combination.

In the audio, Kohli can be heard speaking -- ‘Hum inko round the wicket dalwayenge, Left handers hai inpe, Lala, Siraj sabko start se hi laga denge.” At the same comment, Ravi Shastri replied – ‘hmmn’.

Here is the leaked audio from Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri’s presser…

https://t.co/WI2WsqoBKz

— Andy (@WeBleedBlue007) June 2, 2021

According to this conversation, one can guess that both Mohammed Siraj and Mohammed Shami (Lala) will be part of India’s playing XI against the Kiwis.  However, with the plans getting leaked, it will be interesting to see that is indeed the case.

“We have worked hard for finals and nobody can take that away from us! There was no doubt we were going be featuring in the WTC Final. It’s like football, we go to keep our standards high,” said Kohli during the virtual press conference on Wednesday.

India will be facing New Zealand from June 18 and they will have limited time for their preparations due to mandatory quarantine in the UK. On the other hand, Black Caps have an added advantage as they have already begun a two-match Test series against England. New Zealand ended Day one of the first Test at Lord’s at 246/3 with debutant Devon Conway scoring a century.