National selector: For the sake of Indian cricket, Virat Kohli was told to stay as T20 captain

Virat Kohli was asked to continue as T20I captain by the BCCI and selectors when he decided to step down before the T20 World Cup, according to selection committee head Chetan Sharma. Kohli was notified about the white-ball captaincy change on the day of the Test team selection for the South Africa tour on December 8, according to Sharma.

The main selectors finally met the media today, reading out the 18-man ODI team for South Africa and announcing that Rohit Sharma, the newly-appointed ODI captain, would also miss the white-ball phase of the tour due to a hamstring injury.

"When the meeting started (in September), it was a surprise for everybody. Everybody who was part of that meeting told Virat to reconsider his decision. We felt at the time that it would affect the (team at the) World Cup and it was told to Virat for the sake of Indian cricket, 'please continue as captain'. It was told to him by everybody. The convener was there. The Board officials were there. But he took the decision and we respected it," Sharma told reporters.

Kohli reaffirmed his wish to stay as Test and ODI captain in an Instagram post while surrendering T20I captaincy, and when speaking to the press before the Test team's departure for South Africa, he said: "Before quitting T20I captaincy, I had approached the BCCI and explained the reasons behind my decision. That was received very well.

There was no offense or hesitation. Muhje yeh nahi kaha giya tha ki aap T20 captaincy na chodie (I was not told not to relinquish T20 captaincy). Rather it was taken as a progressive step, in the right direction."

Sharma was asked today if Kohli had been advised by the selectors that standing down as T20I captain would result in his losing his ODI captaincy as well: "That was not the right time (selection meeting for the T20 World Cup) to tell Virat that we wanted to have one captain in white-ball formats.

We were going to a World Cup. It wasn't the appropriate time to tell him that if he stepped down as T20I captain, he couldn't be the ODI captain as well. Everybody (selectors and BCCI officials) requested him to think about this decision after the World Cup," Sharma replied.

This corroborates BCCI president Sourav Ganguly's statement to The Indian Express on December 10: "We (BCCI) had requested Virat not to step down as T20I captain. There was no plan to change captaincy. But he stepped down as T20I captain and the selectors decided not to split limited-overs captaincy, opting for a complete separation."

Sharma revealed that, unlike the T20I captaincy, the ODI captaincy change was made by the selectors, who thought that two white-ball leaders couldn't be allowed: "As soon as the selection committee took the decision, immediately I called up Virat. It was a Test selection meeting.

Immediately after that, at 5 o'clock we informed him that there would be one white-ball captain. In terms of planning, the selectors decided that we must have one white-ball captain and one red-ball captain. There were a couple of questions and we had a good conversation. We didn't want to inform him at the selection meeting."

Kohli's claim that he was removed as ODI skipper on a 90-minute notice was put into context by the top selector: "There's no confusion. Look, the ODI selection is happening today. But we announced the ODI captaincy change on the day of the Test team selection because we wanted to give time to both Virat and Rohit," Sharma explained.

With the meanwhile, in Rohit's absence, KL Rahul will captain India in the three One-Day Internationals against South Africa, with Jasprit Bumrah as his deputy. Given Rohit's fitness record and the importance of having him 100% healthy for large events, Sharma stressed the importance of providing him enough time to recover.

Ruturaj Gaikwad and Venkatesh Iyer were promoted to the ODI squad due to their "domestic performance" after gaining experience in T20Is. After recovering from a finger injury, Washington Sundar returned to the white-ball fold.