Page 52 - The Indian EYE 122421

SpORTS DECEMBER 24, 2021 | The Indian Eye 52

indian toUr of soUtH afriCa

After Kohli’s bombshell

revelation on ODI captaincy,

signs of trouble in team

Former Indian players feel that there should be transparency between the players and the management to
maintain an unhindered flow of communication

OuR BuREAu

Mumbai
ndia Test skipper Virat Kohli is
set to miss the upcoming three-
Imatch ODI series against South
Africa. This was revealed by Kohli on
Monday. The announcement came
in the middle of growing controversy
over the captaincy of Indian team in
ODIs.
Opening batter Rohit Sharma
was on last Wednesday named India’s
new ODI skipper and the star player
will take over from Virat Kohli start-
ing with the South Africa series in
January next year. On Thursday, the
Board of Control for Cricket in India
(BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly
said the board and selectors together
took the call to appoint Rohit Shar-
ma as the full-time white-ball captain
of the side. “It’s a call that the BCCI India Test captain Virat Kohli getting emotional during a press conference in Mumbai on Wednesday (ANI)
and the selectors took together. Ac-
tually, the BCCI had requested Virat he was never asked to leave the T20I
to not step down as the T20I skipper captaincy adding that even regarding
but obviously, he did not agree. And the ODI captaincy, the communica-
the selectors then did not feel it right tion could have been better.
to have two different captains for two
white-ball formats,” Ganguly said.
When Rohit Sharma was ap- “whatever was said about the
pointed as India’s white-ball cap- communication that happened
tain last week, one anticipated the
growing animosity within the crick- during the decision that was
eting circles, but no one could have made was inaccurate. i was con-
thought that a leadership change
would bring two of the biggest frac- tacted one and half hours before
tions -- Virat Kohli and BCCI Presi- the selection meeting on 8th
dent Sourav Ganguly at loggerheads.
A day after Kohli was removed for the test series,” said kohli.
as the ODI captain, BCCI President
Ganguly said that he had indeed spo- “And there was no prior commu-
ken to Virat regarding the leadership Virat Kohli shares a light moment with head coach Rahul Dravid during nication with me since I announced
change adding, that he had request- at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai (ANI) the T20I captaincy decision up till
ed Virat to also not give up the T20I December 8. The chief selector dis-
captaincy. “So, it was decided that spoke to Virat Kohli and the chair- conference on Wednesday as Team cussed the Test team to which we
Virat will continue as Test captain man of selectors has also spoken to India gears up to depart for South both agreed. Before ending the call,
and Rohit will take over as the white- him,” the BCCI president had added. Africa. In this, the former white-ball I was told the five selectors decided
ball captain. I as President personally However, Kohli held a press skipper contradicted Ganguly saying Continued at next page... >>

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