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Mumbai: India’s Test captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday said that he will play in the upcoming ODI series in South Africa, putting to rest speculations about his availability and his equation with newly-appointed white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma.
“I was and I am available for selection all the time. I never approached BCCI for rest. I am available for ODI series in South Africa and was always available.”
“This should be asked of those who are writing lies. I haven’t had any communication with BCCI on this issue that I want to take rest.”
There has been speculation for the past two days that all is not well between Kohli and Test vice-captain Rohit, who will miss the Test due to a hamstring injury.
After Rohit’s exit, reports surfaced that Kohli would take a break from the ODI series at Rainbow Nation to spend some time with his young family.
This was done in a brief BCCI press release announcing the Test squad for the series after Rohit was handed over the reins of the ODI and T20I teams last week.
Shortly before the start of the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates, Kohli announced his step down as India’s T20I captain after the tournament.
Responding to the endless chatter, Kohli said, “A lot of things that happen out there are not ideal and are not always how one expects them to be.
“But you have to understand that there’s only so much you can do as a person and we have to do the things that you can do as a person, in my control show. I’m very focused and mentally very I’m ready.”
‘Not asked to reconsider relinquishing T20 captaincy’
Kohli said the BCCI never asked him to reconsider leaving the T20 leadership as claimed by the board and he was dropped from the ODI captaincy 90 minutes before the team’s selection for the upcoming South Africa tour.
At a pre-departure press meet ahead of the South Africa tour, the Indian skipper took on all the tough questions and said he would give his full support behind the “vision” of new white-ball captain Rohit Sharma and head coach Rahul Dravid. He said that he understands that he was dropped for not winning the ICC White Ball Trophy.
“Whatever was said about the communication was wrong,” Kohli said in an apparent reference to BCCI President Sourav Ganguly’s statement about the board, requesting him not to leave because of the board. The split captaincy may not work in the white-ball format. ,
“I was contacted an hour and a half before the selection meeting on 8th for the Test series and since the time I announced my decision on T20 captaincy, there was no prior communication from me.
“… the chief selector discussed the Test squad, which we both agreed on. Before concluding the call, I was told that the five selectors had decided that I would not be the ODI captain, to which I said ‘okay’ replied, “The 33-year-old said that he remembered the sequence of events.
“Later in the selection call we talked about it briefly and that’s what happened.”
When he was asked the next question, the rift between Kohli and the BCCI leaders came to the fore.
But you just said that you want to continue as captain till 2023 ODI World Cup?
“Was it a question?” Kohli smiled.
“Yeah, it’s a question because you only said that you want to continue as India’s ODI captain?” The reporter asked again.
He said, ‘When I left the captaincy of T20, I first approached BCCI and informed them about my decision and put my point before them.
He said, ‘I explained the reason for leaving the T20 captaincy and my idea was very well accepted. There was no offense, there was no hesitation and for once I was not told ‘you should not give up T20 captaincy’, the exact opposite of what Kohli had said a few days back.
Kohli said that the top BCCI officials termed his decision as progressive.
“On the contrary, BCCI called it a progressive step and in the right direction. At that time I told that yes, I would like to continue in Tests and ODIs unless the officials and selectors think that I should not take up this responsibility.
“I had clarified on my call and the communication to BCCI was clear. I had given that option if the office-bearers and selectors think otherwise, it is in their hands (their call).
Ganguly had said that Kohli’s decision not to reconsider the T20 captaincy prompted the selectors to go for Rohit as the only white-ball captain as the two different captains “led too much” in both the formats. Will happen.
“We had requested Virat not to step down as T20 captain, but he did not want to continue as captain. Hence, the selectors felt that they cannot have two white-ball captains in the two white-ball formats. It’s too much leadership,” the BCCI president and former India captain had told PTI.
Rohit also replaced in-form Ajinkya Rahane as Kohli’s deputy in the Test format.
India will play three Tests against South Africa from December 26, followed by the same number of ODIs in January.
Read also: Kohli has not made any official request for a break from ODI series in South Africa: BCCI official
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