NEW DELHI: India’s superstar batter and former limited overs captain Virat Kohli has said that he was notified about the sacking just 90 minutes prior to the official statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) last week.
Kohli had already decided to step down as India’s T20 captain, stating that he would be captaining India for the last time in T20Is at the T20 World Cup. He had, however, added that he would continue to lead India in ODIs and Tests.
BCCI President Saurav Ganguly had last week said that the cricket-governing body in India wanted Kohli to stay as captain in T20Is, however his refusal to lead India in the shortest format meant that the BCCI selectors were pushed to remove him as captain from ODIs too.
Kohli, while addressing the media, however, stated that no such offer was made to him and was told instead that it was a “step in the right direction”.
A BCCI official had also stated that Kohli would be travelling to South Africa to lead India in Tests only and would not be featuring in the ODIs. The star batter has, however, said that he was and is available for selection and that he was “keen to play for India”.
Kohli’s sacking as limited overs captain has left many fans, pundits, and former cricketers fuming for how the superstar was treated by the BCCI. Many have criticised the BCCI for such unprofessional handling of the whole captaincy issue.
