Virat Kohli has said that he was apprised of his removal as the India ODI captain just one and a half-hour before the selectors were to pick the Test team for the South Africa tour.
He claimed there was no prior communication and that Rohit Sharma, the new ODI captain, will have his full backing.
This is the first time Virat Kohli has spoken at a press conference since he was removed from the captaincy of the ODI team where he made it clear that he was ready to play ODIs, and the news that stated otherwise was baseless.
“While the Test team was waiting, the selectors said that you have been removed from the ODI captaincy, but nothing has happened since then,” said Virat Kohli.
“I have not been in touch with the BCCI,” he said. “I was contacted an hour and a half before the selection meeting for the Test series on 8 December. There had been no conversation with me before. I didn’t talk to anyone until December 8th. Then I got a call before the selection meeting. The chief selector discussed with me the Test team, which we both agreed on. Before I finished the call, I was told that the five selectors had decided that I would no longer be the captain. In response to which I said, OK.”
Comment on Sourav Ganguly’s statement
The BCCI President Sourav Ganguly had said that they had requested Kohli not to quit the T20I captaincy but he didn’t agree.
To this statement, Kohli said, “I was never told not to leave the T20 captaincy.”
“Those who are writing such things are not at all credible to me,” he added. “As I said, I am available for selection for ODIs in South Africa and I am always looking forward to playing.”
