(PTI Photo)
Before the 2021 T20 World Cup, Virat Kohli surprised many by announcing his decision to step down as India’s T20I captain, citing the need to manage his workload across all formats.
India’s campaign in the tournament ended in the first round with three wins and two losses, notably against Pakistan and New Zealand. Following the T20 World Cup, Kohli further shocked the cricketing world by resigning from ODI and Test captaincy roles.
Amidst these developments, there was a contentious press interaction where Kohli revealed he was informed just 90 minutes before a team selection meeting for the 2021-22 South Africa tour that he would no longer be ODI captain. He strongly denied the BCCI’s assertion that he had prior knowledge of the decision.
In January 2022, after India’s series loss in South Africa, Kohli relinquished his Test captaincy. Sourav Ganguly, then BCCI president, faced criticism on social media for the handling of the captaincy succession, with some blaming him for pressuring Kohli to step down.
That era now feels like a distant memory, as India has risen to become T20 World Cup champions under the leadership of Rohit Sharma, who took over from Kohli as captain across all formats.
Ganguly reflects on the period when he faced criticism for appointing Rohit as captain. “When I handed Rohit Sharma the captaincy of the Indian team, everyone criticised me,” the former India captain told AajKal.
“Now that India has won the T20 World Cup under the captaincy of Rohit Sharma, everyone has stopped abusing me for it. In fact, I think everyone has forgotten that it was I who appointed him as the captain of the Indian team,” he added.
The team prepares for a new phase as Rohit and Kohli retire from T20Is, while newly appointed head coach Gautam Gambhir maps out the path ahead. Despite their T20I retirements, Rohit and Kohli will remain fixtures in Tests and ODIs, as affirmed by BCCI secretary Jay Shah, who confirmed their participation in next year’s Champions Trophy.
Additionally, Shah announced Rohit’s continued captaincy for the current World Test Championship cycle and the upcoming Champions Trophy.
