There was no prior communication: Virat Kohli on how he was sacked as ODI skipper

In his first press conference since being sacked as ODI skipper, Test skipper Virat Kohli has come clean on the conversation between him and the selection committee.

“Whatever had been said about the communication that happened during the decision that was made is inaccurate,” said Kohli at a press conference before the Indian team’s departure for the tour of South Africa. “I was contacted 1.5 hours before the selection committee meet on the 8th for the Test series and there was no prior communication with me at all since I announced the T20 captaincy decision uptil the 8th of December.”

He further added: “The chief selector discussed with me the Test team... to which we both agreed. Before we ended the call, I was told that the selectors had decided that I won’t be ODI captain to which I replied, ‘Okay, fine’. There was no prior communication. That is what happened.”

The decision to ask Kohli to step down as ODI skipper was later attributed to the selectors not wanting two white-ball skippers. In fact, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had even said that the board had even asked Kohli to not step down as T20 skipper.

“It’s a call that the BCCI and the selectors took together,” Ganguly was quoted as saying by ANI on Thursday. “Actually, the BCCI had requested Virat to not step down as the T20I skipper but obviously, he did not agree. And the selectors then did not feel it right to have two different captains for two white-ball formats.”

But Kohli has now said that he wasn’t asked to not leave T20I captaincy.

“I approached the BCCI first explaining my thought process and reasons. And at that point, it was received very well,” Kohli said. “There was no offence. There was no hesitancy. I was not told to not leave the T20I captaincy, rather it was received as a progressive call made in the right direction. I had also communicated that I would like to continue as the skipper in Tests and ODIs unless the office-bearers or the selectors feel I shouldn’t continue. This too was clarified on the call. So my communication with the BCCI was clear from that point on.”

There has also been some further talk that Kohli might miss the ODI series in South Africa but the Test skipper said that he was always available for selection.

“I was and I am available for selection... all this time,” said Kohli. “You should not be asking me this question, these questions should be asked those who are writing these stories and sources. As far as I am concerned, I was always available.”

Kohli added: “I had not had any communication with the BCCI that I want to rest. So there were a few things that came out in the past as well where it was said that I was attending some events with some people which was absolutely not true. All these people who are writing these things and their sources, to me, they are absolutely not credible. I was always keen to play. As I said, the question should be asked to people who have been writing about these things... writing lies.”