The sacking of Virat Kohli as the captain of India's ODI captain has sparked a massive controversy. Now, batting great Sunil Gavaskar has weighed in on, and has some advice for Sourav Ganguly.
Former Indian captain Sunil Gavaskar feels that Virat Kohli should have chosen his words right while announcing his decision of stepping down as the T20 captain back in September. Gavaskar felt the statement, which is still there in the public domain, might have lit fire among the BCCI top brass which eventually led the Indian cricket board to strip Kohli from the ODI captaincy as well. (More Cricket News)
"I think you know I also saw the release because it was in a public domain. I think you know the way it was put across, I think it might upset the ones in power. If I remember correctly it said I will continue to lead India in Test and ODIs,” Gavaskar was quoted as saying to a television channel.
“I think that line could have been changed to ‘I would be available to lead India in Test and ODIs’,” added Gavaskar, the first man to cross 10,000 runs in Tests.
In September, Kohli announced his decision to step down as India’s T20 captain after the World Cup 2021 campaign.
Kohli failed to win any ICC trophy during his reign as India’s limited-overs captain. While that can be one of the reasons for BCCI stripping him from the ODI captaincy, Gavaskar also felt the presumptions that he would be India’s Test and 50-overs format skipper, might be another for people to get an ‘anti-feeling’ towards Kohli.
“The presumptions he would be the captain for Test and ODIs could have been one of the reasons why there was this little anti-feeling against him. He hasn’t won ICC events but bilateral events whether at home or away, he has led the Indian team to wins. So there was no reason for people to be unhappy with his leadership abilities.
“I guess that one line might have actually been the cause where it actually started,” he stated.
On Wednesday, Kohli triggered a controversy when he contradicted BCCI president Sourav Ganguly’s claims that he was asked not to step down as India captain.
Gavaskar feels Ganguly is the best person to clear the air. He said that the BCCI president ‘surely should be asked’ how the difference in perception arose. “I think it (Kohli's comment) actually doesn't bring the BCCI into the picture.
“I think it’s the individual who has to be asked where he got the impression he had conveyed such a message to Kohli. So, that's the only thing,” Gavaskar said. “Yes, he (Ganguly) is the BCCI president and surely he should be asked why there is this discrepancy.
“He is probably the best person to ask about the discrepancy in what you seem to have to say and what the Indian captain has said,” he added.
Meanwhile, Ganguly has responded to Kohli's contradictory comments on Thursday. "I have got nothing to say. We will deal with it, leave it to the BCCI," the former India captain said after being hounded by reporters.