Indian Test team skipper Virat Kohli’s public outbursts against Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI have divided cricket fans even as Sunil Gavaskar lost his cool at former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin.
This all started with Kohli slamming the BCCI in an extraordinary press conference as he exposed Ganguly’s lies over the captaincy row. Contrary to Ganguly’s claims, Kohli had said that he had informed the BCCI about his intention to step down as the captain of the T20 team. According to Kohli, both Ganguly and Jay Shah had no issues with his decision.
However, Ganguly had told a news channel, “It’s like I said… I personally requested him (Kohli) not to give up the T20I captaincy. Obviously, he felt the workload.”
Contradicting Ganguly’s claims, Kohli said, “I told the BCCI before giving up T20I captaincy. I told them my point of view. The BCCI received it very well. There was no offence. It was received well, saying it’s a progresive step. I told them I will continue as ODI captain and Test captain. I told them at that point clearly that if the office bearers or the selectors don’t want me to handle either of the responsibility, I am fine with it. I said this clearly when I approached the BCCI to discuss my T20I captaincy.”
Fans of both Kohli and Ganguly have been supporting their respective cricket stars with an overwhelming majority supporting the Indian Test skipper.
BCCI has done much wrong in distant past. But also some things right to put Indian on the top. Now they seem impatiently mending what ain’t broken. It’s one thing to change captaincy, another to do it with such shoddy lack of grace. Well done Kohli to call BCCI out.
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) December 16, 2021
Sourav Ganguly said there will be no press conference from BCCI in the upcoming days. (To Times Now)
Script isn't ready…?????????? #ViratVsBCCI #ViratKohli #SAvIND
— Saurabh Tripathi (@SaurabhTripathS) December 16, 2021
We r vth u King @imVkohli#WorldStandsWithKohli pic.twitter.com/YtivwzE3nP
— Mourya (@_KingKohli254_) December 17, 2021
Kohli is our last hope of knocking some sense & professionalism into BCCI. No player in future gonna become as big & powerful as Kohli. Nobody gonna question bcci. So if Kohli lose we all lose.
— Jitender Singh (@j_dhillon8) December 17, 2021
Kohli appeared to fall out with the BCCI after he criticised Hindutva terrorists, mostly supporters of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, for accusing Mohammed Shami of accepting money from Pakistan to lose the T20 World Cup match. Many had wondered if Kohli wasn’t concerned about his future in the team given that Jay Shah, the son BJP leader and India’s Home Minister Amit Shah, called the shots in the Indian cricket board.
One Hindutva terrorist had even threatened to rape Kohli’s 9-month-old daughter. He was later arrested from Hyderabad by the Mumbai Police.
The controversy started after the BCCI unceremoniously stripped Kohli of his ODI captaincy and announce Rohit Sharma as his successor. According to Kohli, he was only informed about the decision less than two hours before the BCCI went public with its decision. Many felt that this was the BCCI’s attempt to severely reduce Kohli’s authority.
Gavaskar attacks Azhar
Meanwhile, Sunil Gavaskar, former India batsman, has lashed out at his former teammate Mohammed Azharuddin for implying that all was not well between Kohli and Rohit Sharma. Azhar had recently tweeted, “Virat Kohli has informed that he’s not available for the ODI series & Rohit Sharma is unavailable fr d upcoming test. There is no harm in takin a break but d timing has to be better. This just substantiates speculation abt d rift. Neither wil be giving up d other form of cricket.”
Reacting to Azhar’s tweet, Gavaskar told India Today, “Unless both the players come out with something, we should not jump to conclusions. Yes, Azhar has said something; if Azhar has some inside information on what has happened, he should be the one to come out and tell us what happened.”
Kohli too was asked about his reported rift with Rohit Sharma but he refused the allegations saying that he was tired of issuing explanations.