Sourav Ganguly: Asked Virat Kohli to step down as white-ball captain as he wasn't interested to lead in T20Is

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Former BCCI president and legendary India cricketer Sourav Ganguly has claimed that he was not responsible for Virat Kohli's ouster from India's captaincy after the 2021 T20 World Cup.

Kohli's decision to step down from the T20I captaincy after India's disappointing performance in the T20 World Cup in the UAE surprised many.

It became even more intriguing as Kohli also relinquished the ODI and Test captaincy roles, leaving the cricketing fraternity perplexed, and questioning the reasons behind such a drastic decision.

As the president of the BCCI at the time, Ganguly found himself at the center of the storm. Kohli's claim that the BCCI had not asked him to reconsider his T20I captaincy resignation threw a spotlight on the internal workings of Indian cricket. Ganguly, however, asserted that he was not responsible for Kohli's removal from the captaincy.

In a surprising turn of events, Ganguly revealed on the reality show "Dadagiri Unlimited Season 10" that he had urged Kohli to continue leading in T20Is. Ganguly stated that the selectors believed having two different captains in white-ball cricket would be too much leadership.

According to Ganguly, Kohli expressed disinterest in leading T20Is, prompting Ganguly to suggest stepping down from the entire white-ball format. He further disclosed that Rohit Sharma, despite initial reluctance, was persuaded to take up the captaincy role in all three formats.

"I have said this a lot of times. He wasn't interested to lead in T20Is. So, after he made that decision, I told him, if you're not interested to lead in T20Is, it's better if you step down from the entire white-ball cricket. Let there be a white-ball captain and a red-ball captain," Ganguly said.

He admitted to pushing Rohit a bit, acknowledging his contribution to convincing the vice-captain to assume a greater leadership role. Ganguly emphasised that, ultimately, it is the players' performance on the field that matters the most.

In defending his actions, Ganguly reiterated that his role as the BCCI president was aimed at the betterment of Indian cricket. The decision to streamline captaincy across formats was driven by a vision to enhance team cohesion and performance. Ganguly's insights into the captaincy decisions shed light on the intricate dynamics at play within the Indian cricketing hierarchy.

The Kohli-Ganguly captaincy controversy has added a compelling chapter to Indian cricket's narrative. The clash of perspectives between the former captain and the cricket administrator showcases the complex decision-making processes behind the scenes.