In a highly-watched reality show episode, Sourav Ganguly, former captain of the Indian cricket team and ex-President of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), directly addressed persistent rumours about Virat Kohli’s removal from the Test captaincy. Ganguly unequivocally refuted any involvement in Kohli stepping down as the Test team leader.
Amid widespread speculations within the cricketing community regarding Kohli’s departure from the Test captaincy. Numerous theories had surfaced, suggesting a conflict with higher-ups in the cricket board. However, in the episode, Ganguly dismissed these assertions as groundless.
Sourav Ganguly revealed the truth
“I was not behind Virat’s ousting from captaincy. These decisions are not taken by one individual but are collective resolutions of the board. As the then president of BCCI, I was part of many discussions. But there was never a move initiated by me against Virat,” said Ganguly.
Providing additional details on the matter, Ganguly conveyed his admiration for Kohli’s contributions to Indian cricket. He recognised Kohli’s accomplishments as captain, citing an impressive win-loss ratio. The establishment of a culture emphasising fitness and aggression that has defined the approach of the Indian team.
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Ganguly’s firm denial of involvement has sparked significant responses from cricket enthusiasts and experts. Who have been eager for transparency regarding the sudden shift in team leadership. This assertive stance from Ganguly introduces a fresh perspective to the ongoing discourse on the captaincy saga. And people anticipate it will fuel additional discussions about the decision-making procedures within the cricketing establishment.
During the discussion, Sourav Ganguly expressed admiration for Virat Kohli’s dedication to the sport. And expressed the desire that this clarification would bring an end to the speculation.
Storm generated on Social media
Since the episode aired, social media has been abuzz with viewers and cricket enthusiasts analysing every detail of Ganguly’s statements. While some have embraced his comments outright, others maintain a level of skepticism regarding the transparency of cricket administration.
As the show concluded, Ganguly restated his position, maintaining composure and refraining from engaging in direct public confrontation with Kohli. He emphasised that the primary focus should be on the game and the remarkable talent that players like Virat bring to the field.
What Sourav Ganguly said earlier
Previously, Sourav had disclosed the primary reason for the change in leadership in ODIs. During a conversation with ANI, Ganguly explained that the national selection committee had to make a difficult decision after Virat declined to continue as the T20I skipper.
“BCCI had requested Virat Kohli to not step down as the T20I skipper but he didn’t agree – and selectors then feel it’s not right to have two captains in white ball format”.
What Virat Kohli said earlier
The image of Indian cricket had suffered a blow following a sensational revelation by former limited-overs captain Virat Kohli. He disclosed that Sourav Ganguly never reached out to him regarding the T20I captaincy, and he was ousted from the ODI captaincy without any prior notice.
“When I communicated with the BCCI first about quitting the T20I captaincy, I told them that this is my point of view, these are the reasons for my decision. It was received quite well. No one took offence, no one had any hesitation. No one told me that I should not leave the T20I captaincy.”
Fans took these assertions seriously, calling for Ganguly’s resignation, accusing him of dishonesty regarding one of India’s greatest players.
And then the BCCI enters supporting Saurav Ganguly
The top governing body of Indian cricket has responded to Virat’s omission of the truth.
“Virat Kohli can’t say that we didn’t keep him in the loop. We spoke to Virat in Sept and asked him not to quit the T20 captaincy. Once Virat gave up the T20 captaincy on his own, it was difficult to have 2 white ball captains. Chetan Sharma told Virat about the ODI captaincy on the morning of the meeting,” a BCCI official told India Today.
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