R Ashwin complained against India captain Virat Kohli to the BCCI: Reports

Add as a preferred source on Google

New Delhi, Sep 29: Team India's decision to bench senior off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin in the Test series against England kept surprising the experts and fans alike.

Ashwin has been India's premier spinner in Test cricket and his figures overseas also have been impressive. But captain Virat Kohli preferred left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja over Ashwin in all four Tests even as the pitches looked conducive to spin bowling.

Kohli's decision to ignore the Tamil Nadu-spinner baffled even the likes of former England captains Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan. On the entire tour of England this year, Ashwin seemed cut off from the rest of the teammates. He was often spotted sitting alone in the dressing room or in the stands distracted, which further hinted that the tweaker wasn't happy with the way things were shaping up in the dressing room.

In the wake of Kohli ignoring him constantly in England, Ashwin reportedly revolted against the captain and complained to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) against Kohli for giving them harsh treatment.

As per an IANS report, a senior player complained to the BCCI secretary Jay Shah against Kohli for making him insecure in the team. As per reports, the senior player in question was Ashwin after the Indian captain lashed out at him for not performing up to the mark in the World Test Championships (WTC) final against New Zealand.

Kohli was apparently unhappy with two other senior batters in the side after WTC final defeat. The two batters were reportedly Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane - who personally met with Jay Shah to complain against the captain. Following this, Shah asked for feedback from other players in the team as well.

As per a report in the New Indian Express, speculations are rife that the board will take a call on Kohli's future as ODI captain after the T20 World Cup 2021. Many are of the view that the board might appoint a new captain in the white-ball format keeping the future ICC tournaments in mind and Kohli's failure to lift a single ICC trophy in his captaincy.

Earlier this month, Kohli's decision to step down as the captain of India's T20I side after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup came as a surprise to many. Reports later emerged that the senior batter's decision to relinquish captaincy was governed by the fact that the players were not happy with him.