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Virat Kohli has undeniably left an indelible mark on the sport with his prolific performances and leadership skills. The batting stalwart has been an integral part of the Indian cricket team for nearly a decade, contributing significantly to numerous triumphs and etching his name into the annals of cricketing history by setting various milestones.
Kohli’s captaincy controversy
The year 2021 witnessed a significant turning point in Kohli’s career when, after leaving the leadership role in the India’s T20I team, he was unexpectedly relieved of the captaincy of the ODI team as well. This decision raised eyebrows among fans and experts alike, prompting speculation about the circumstances leading to this move.
Recently, former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly, who was working as the BCCI President at the time of this drama, shed light on his role in Kohli’s captaincy ousting. A cricketing veteran himself, the 51-year-old shared insights into the decision-making process, adding an intriguing layer to the narrative surrounding Kohli’s captaincy transition.
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‘It’s better if you step down from entire white-ball cricket’: Ganguly to Kohli
Addressing the swirling speculation surrounding Kohli’s removal from the captaincy, Ganguly emphatically clarified that he did not strip the batting maestro of his leadership role. The 51-year-old elucidated that Kohli himself expressed a lack of interest in captaining the T20 format.
In response, Ganguly, understanding the latter’s sentiments, suggested that Kohli should relinquish the white-ball cricket captaincy. Voluntarily and aligned with his preference not to lead in the T20 format, the Delhi-born cricketer then stepped down from captaincy across all formats, focusing instead on contributing as a pivotal team batter.
“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,” Ganguly said, as quoted on a reality show named Dadagiri Unlimited Season 10.
