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I was removed 90 minutes before South Africa squad selection: Kohli

Team MVR

It’s all out in the open now and from no less than the horse himself. Virat Kohli took the platform of ore- tournament Press conference as skipper of the Test team going to South Africa to announce that his removal from ODI captaincy happened just 90 minutes before the selection team for the SA tour squad was held.

He also said that the BCCI never asked him to reconsider quitting T20 leadership as claimed by the Board.

Without flinching or hesitating he said that not winning an ICC white ball trophy had led to his summary removal as ODI skipper.

That’s Kohli for you, taking issues head-on without a care for the consequences. Having said that, the team left for South Africa for the Test and ODI series.

When issues other than winning will be dominating minds that matter.

Though entirely supportive of coach Rahul Dravid’s vision and the playing acumen of his teammate Rohit Sharma, Kohli is obviously simmering enough to reveal so many things which puts the Board in somewhat of a quandary.

 

Under the circumstances how effectively he will be able to command the team and perform in alien surrounds is a question begging for resolution.

“Whatever was said about the communication that happened about the decision that was made was inaccurate,” Kohli said with obvious reference to BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s statement about the Board requesting him not to quit as split captaincy might not work in the white-ball format.

“I was contacted one and half hours before selection meeting on 8th for Test series and there was no prior communication to me at all since I announced my decision on T20 captaincy.

“…the chief selector discussed the Test team to which we both agreed. Before ending the call, I was told that the five selectors have decided that I will not be the ODI captain to which I replied ‘okay fine’,” the 33-year-old added as he recalled the sequence of events.

“In the selection call afterwards we chatted about it briefly and that’s what happened.”

The discord between Kohli and the BCCI mandarins came out in the open when he was asked the next question.

But you had only stated that you wanted to remain captain till 2023 ODI World Cup?

“Was it a question?” Kohli smiled.

“Yes, it is a question because you had only said you wanted to remain India’s ODI captain?,” the reporter again asked.

“When I left the T20 captaincy, I had first approached BCCI and intimated them of my decision and laid down my point of view in front of them (office bearers).

“I gave the reasons why I wanted to quit T20 captaincy and my view point was received very nicely. There was no offence, no hesitation and not for once was I told that ‘you should not leave T20 captaincy’,” Kohli said, in complete contradiction to what Ganguly had stated a few days earlier.

Kohli said the BCCI brass called his decision a progressive one.

“On the contrary, the BCCI called it a progressive step and in the right direction. At that time I had communicated that, yes I would like to continue in Tests and ODIs unless office-bearers and selectors think that I shouldn’t carry on with this responsibility.

“I had clarified on my call and communication to BCCI was clear. I had given that option if office bearers and selectors think otherwise, then it’s in their hands (their call).”

Ganguly had stated that Kohli’s decision to not reconsider giving up T20 captaincy prompted the selectors to go for Rohit as the sole white-ball skipper as two different captains in the two formats would have led to “too much leadership.”

“We had requested Virat not to step down as T20 captain but he didn’t want to continue as captain. So, the selectors felt that they cannot have two white ball captains in two white-ball formats. That’s too much of leadership,” the BCCI president and former India captain had said.

Rohit also replaced a woefully out of form Ajinkya Rahane as Kohli’s deputy in the Test format.

But now with Rohit Out of the entire series due to injury, the post is again for Rahane to take up even though India A team skipper Pranjal is the Sharma replacement to his utter surprise.