Sourav Ganguly, the former president of BCCI, has emphasized once again that he wasn’t responsible for removing Virat Kohli from the captaincy role in white-ball cricket. Kohli voluntarily resigned as the T20I captain post the 2021 T20 World Cup and later was relieved of his duties as the ODI captain in December 2021.
After the T20 World Cup 2021, Indian cricket experienced a significant change in leadership. Virat Kohli, the renowned captain, took everyone by surprise when he decided to step down from the T20I captaincy. However, he made it clear that he still harbored the ambition to continue leading the Indian team in ODIs and Tests.
Following the Test series loss against South Africa, Virat Kohli surprised everyone by announcing his resignation as Test captain. The decision left even Rohit Sharma astonished, who expressed his shock on social media. The public contradiction between BCCI and Virat Kohli became a notable feature during this period.
After Virat Kohli’s replacement by Rohit Sharma as the ODI captain, Sourav Ganguly, the then BCCI chief, revealed that he had urged Kohli not to step down as the T20I captain. However, Kohli swiftly contradicted Ganguly’s statement.
After Virat Kohli stepped down as Test captain, Sourav Ganguly faced significant criticism from various sources. Many claimed that he played a key role in Kohli’s removal, an accusation Ganguly has consistently denied.
In a recent show he hosted, Ganguly reiterated that he had no involvement in Kohli’s captaincy decision. During the program, he also disclosed the reason behind Kohli’s choice to resign as the white-ball captain.
Also Read: Sourav Ganguly Backs Rohit Sharma And Virat Kohli To Play 2024 T20 World Cup
“I didn’t remove Virat from captaincy. I have told this a lot of times. He 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. Let there be a white-ball captain and a red-ball captain,” Sourav Ganguly said on the reality show Dadagiri Unlimited Season 10.
Ganguly’s recent disclosures provide insight into the intricate dynamics of leadership within the Indian cricketing hierarchy. Contrary to popular belief that the tension between Kohli and Ganguly was a struggle for power, it was essentially a clash of priorities. Ganguly advocated for a distinct captain for each format, while Kohli leaned towards concentrating on Tests and ODIs.
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