Image: Cornerstone agency faces scrutiny for allegedly favoring Rohit and undermining Virat Kohli / © OTT Play
With a disastrous PR controversy surrounding Rohit Sharma, allegations of a calculated campaign against Virat Kohli have surfaced. Speculations suggest that tweets supporting Rohit’s decision to skip the Sydney Test in the Border-Gavaskar series were orchestrated by Cornerstone, a PR agency co-run by Ritika Sajdeh, Rohit’s wife, and her cousin Bunty Sajdeh, Kohli’s former manager.
Rohit’s move, hailed as “selfless” by Bollywood celebrities like Farhan Akhtar and Vidya Balan, sparked backlash, with fans questioning whether this PR stunt indirectly targeted Kohli, who played the Sydney Test despite being in poor form. Critics argue these endorsements aimed to contrast Rohit’s decision to step down with Kohli’s persistence, painting the latter in a less favorable light.
Interestingly, Bunty Sajdeh had managed Kohli since 2008 before their split in 2023. Cornerstone’s partnership with Karan Johar’s Dharma Productions adds another layer to the story, as many celebrities associated with the agency and Dharma reportedly tweeted in favor of Rohit.
While these allegations remain unproven, they highlight growing concerns over the role of PR in shaping narratives within Indian cricket. Neither Kohli nor Rohit has publicly commented, leaving fans divided and the cricketing fraternity embroiled in controversy.