Last year, Virat Kohli made headlines when he stepped down as captain of the Indian cricket team in the Test format. His departure from captaincy raised many questions and left fans wondering about the circumstances behind it. Kohli had already decided to relinquish his role as captain in the T20 format, and soon after, he was also not persisted with in the ODI format. Eventually, Kohli made the decision to step down as Test skipper as well.
Sourav Ganguly, the former captain of the Indian cricket team, was the president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the time when Kohli resigned. Many reports speculated that Ganguly played a significant role in Kohli’s removal. However, Ganguly has now clarified that he had no part in it.
During an interview on the show Dadagiri, Ganguly stated, “I didn’t remove Virat from captaincy. I have said this several times. He (Kohli) was not 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 entire white-ball cricket formats. Let there be a white-ball captain and a red-ball captain.”
Ganguly also mentioned that he encouraged Rohit Sharma to take up the captaincy role because Kohli wasn’t interested in leading in all three formats of the game. However, he emphasized that the players’ performance on the field is what truly matters.
“I was appointed as the President of BCCI to work for the betterment of Indian cricket, and this is just a small part of it,” Ganguly added.
Following Kohli’s departure, Rohit Sharma was appointed as the captain across all three formats of the game – T20Is, ODIs, and Tests.
In his statement after stepping down, Kohli expressed gratitude to the BCCI for the opportunity to lead his country for such a long period of time. He also thanked his teammates for their support and dedication throughout his captaincy tenure.
Kohli’s decision marked the end of a seven-year journey filled with hard work and perseverance. He emphasized his commitment to giving his all in every aspect of the game and stated that if he couldn’t do that, it wasn’t the right thing to do. Kohli acknowledged the ups and downs experienced during his captaincy but highlighted the unwavering effort and belief of his team.
He also expressed his appreciation for Ravi Shastri and the support group, who played a significant role in the team’s consistent progress in Test cricket. Lastly, Kohli thanked MS Dhoni for believing in him as a captain and recognizing his potential to lead Indian cricket forward.
Overall, Kohli’s decision to step down as captain marked the end of an era and paved the way for new leadership in the Indian cricket team.
