Get Instant News Updates
Enable
x
Notification Settings X
Time Settings
Done
Clear Notification X
Do you want to clear all the notifications from your inbox?
Settings X
For Quick Alerts
ALLOW NOTIFICATIONS  
For Daily Alerts
 

Virat Kohli confirms his sacking as India ODI captain: 'There was no prior communication'

Virat Kohli on Wednesday (December 15) stunned the cricketing fraternity saying there was no prior communication with him by the BCCI or selectors with regard to change in ODI captaincy.

Virat Kohli

Mumbai, December 15: Virat Kohli on Wednesday (December 15) stunned the cricketing fraternity saying there was no prior communication with him by the BCCI or selectors with regard to change in ODI captaincy.

Kohli said the selectors discussed with him about the Test team to tour South Africa some one and half hours ahead of the selection meeting and informed him at the end of the meeting that he will no longer be the captain of India in ODIs.

Kohli said he was fine with the decision and moved on since. Rohit Sharma was appointed full-time India ODI captain from the series against South Africa in January, 2022.

In effect, Kohli was telling that he was sacked from the job, soon after stepping down from India’s T20I captaincy post the ICC T20 World Cup 2021 held in the UAE.

“I was contacted one-and-a-half hour before the Test team selection. The chief selector (Chetan Sharma) discussed the Test team. And in the end, I was told that I won’t be the captain and I said fine. There was no prior communication,” Kohli told reporters in the Indian team’s pre-departure press conference here.

Kohli further detailed. "Whatever was said about the communication that happened during the decision that was made was inaccurate. I was contacted one and half hours before the selection meeting on December 8th for the Test series," said Kohli.

"And there was no prior communication with me since I announced the T20I captaincy decision up till December 8. The chief selector discussed the Test team to which we both agreed.

"Before ending the call, I was told the five selectors decided that I would not be told that I will not be ODI captain. Which I replied 'okay fine'," he further said.

"And in the selection call afterwards we chatted about it briefly this is what happened, there was no communication prior to that at all," he added.

Kohli also said that his decision to quit India's T20I captaincy was received well by the top brass of BCCI but said he was never asked to reconsider his decision. His statement contradicted that of BCCI president Sourav Ganguly who said he personally asked Kohli to reconsider decsion to quit captaincy.

"When I decided to leave the T20I captaincy and approached the BCCI about my decision, it was received well," Kohli said. "There was no offence or hesitation, I wasn't told to reconsider it. It was received well; I was told it's progressive and it's in the right direction.

"Then I told them I'd like to continue in Tests and ODIs, unless the office bearers and selectors feel otherwise. My communication was clear in what I wanted to do. I gave them the option, that if they feel I shouldn't remain (as captain), the decision is in their hands," Kohli concluded.

Kohli also denied any rift with new ODI captain Rohit and said he is available for ODIs against South Africa and he never asked for rest.

"There is no rift between me and Rohit Sharma. I have clarified multiple times in the last 2.5 years and now I am tired of clarifying things. I can guarantee you that my communication will never be to take my team down till I am playing cricket. It is my commitment towards Indian cricket," said Kohli in the virtual press conference.

Story first published: Wednesday, December 15, 2021, 14:55 [IST]
Other articles published on Dec 15, 2021