Some media reports, quoting sources, claimed that Sourav Ganguly wanted to show-cause of Virat Kohli for his comment during the Indian team’s pre-departure press conference that openly contradicted the Board president.
BCCI president Sourav Ganguly has denied that there was any plan to show cause of Virat Kohli for his comment on the captaincy issue ahead of the Indian team’s tour of South Africa. “Not true at all,” Ganguly told The Indian Express.
Some media reports, quoting sources, claimed that Ganguly wanted to show cause of Kohli for his comment during the Indian team’s pre-departure press conference that openly contradicted the Board president.
Kohli had claimed that no communication was made to him as regards to not relinquishing the T20I captaincy. “Before quitting T20I captaincy, I had approached the BCCI and explained the reasons behind my decision. That was received very well. There was no offense or hesitation. Muhje yeh nahi kaha giya tha ki aap T20 captaincy na chodie (I was not told not to relinquish T20 captaincy),” he had said, adding: “Rather it was taken as a progressive step, in the right direction. I communicated that time that I would like to continue as Test and ODI captain unless the office-bearers and the selectors felt that I shouldn’t carry on with this responsibility. My communication (to the BCCI) was clear.”
This was in the wake of the selection committee’s decision to remove Kohli as ODI captain, appointing Rohit Sharma in his place. On December 9, Ganguly had told The Indian Express: “We (BCCI) had requested Virat not to step down as T20I captain. There was no plan to change captaincy. But he stepped down as T20I captain and the selectors decided not to split limited-overs captaincy, opting for a complete separation.” He added: “Bottom line is that there can’t be two white-ball captains.”
Kohli decided to step down from T20I captaincy after the T20 World Cup last year and had a meeting with the BCCI top brass and the selection committee in this regard before the tournament. Later chief selector Chetan Sharma corroborated Ganguly’s version, saying: “When the (T20 World Cup selection) meeting started (in September), it was a surprise for everybody. Everybody who was part of that meeting told Virat to reconsider his decision. We felt at the time that it would affect the (team at the) World Cup and it was told to Virat for the sake of Indian cricket, ‘please continue as captain’. It was told to him by everybody. The convener was there. The Board officials were there. But he took the decision and we respected it.”
It is learnt that the BCCI now considers the whole issue water under the bridge. Kohli is no longer the captain in any format, after stepping down from T20I and Test leaderships and being stood down from ODI captaincy.