Virat Kohli Went To Selection Committee With A Proposal To Remove Rohit Sharma As Vice-Captain – Reports
Published - 17 Sep 2021, 07:58 PM | Updated - 23 Aug 2024, 12:53 AM
In what can be a shocking update, reports have emerged that Virat Kohli, who recently announced that he will be stepping down from the India T20I captaincy after the T20 World Cup 2021, had suggested to the BCCI selection committee that Rohit Sharma should be removed as vice-captain of India’s white-ball teams.
It was previously reported that Kohli, 32, would be removed from captaincy with Rohit Sharma taking over from him in the ODIs and T20Is if Virat failed to win the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021 which begins in UAE and Oman from October 17 and the final of the tournament will be played on November 14.
Despite announcing that he will relinquish the T20I captaincy after the ICC event, Kohli has maintained that he would remain captain in the other two formats. However, fresh reports from PTI suggest that his captaincy in the ODI format is not safe anymore, especially after his alleged suggestions.
Board Believes Virat Kohli Didn’t Want An Actual Successor After Suggesting Rohit Sharma Should Be Removed From Vice-Captaincy- Report
While Virat Kohli cited workload management as his reason to give up India’s T20I captaincy, sources say that if one looks at India’s calendar till 2023, there are just about 20 bilateral T20 games apart from the World Cup in which Kohli won’t be captain.
“Virat knew that he would have been removed from white ball captaincy. If the team doesn’t do well at the UAE World T20, he was gone for good as far as white ball leadership is concerned. He just reduced a bit of pressure on himself as it would seem that he is there on his own terms. It might not happen for 50 overs if the performance in T20 hits a downward spiral,” a BCCI insider, in the know of things, told PTI.
It is also being said that Kohli went to the selection committee with a proposal which was shocking. The Delhi-batsman suggested that since vice-captain Rohit Sharma is 34-years-old, he should be removed from his post and let someone younger take over in both formats. He wanted the ODI vice-captaincy to be handed to KL Rahul with Rishabh Pant taking over in the T20Is.
“This didn’t go down well with the Board which believes that Kohli doesn’t want an actual successor,” a Board source said.
In the BCCI corridors, officials have figured that Kohli wants to safeguard his 50-over captaincy till the 2023 World Cup.
