‘Could be a blessing in disguise’ - Ravi Shastri on Virat Kohli captaincy saga

The manner in which Virat Kohli was removed from the ODI captaincy position raised some eyebrows. Kohli was sacked from his role, which was given to Rohit Sharma. Rohit is now the captain of the limited-overs side of the Indian team.

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has now provided his take on this matter. He was there when Kohli decided to step down from the T20I captaincy position. Shastri’s contract came to an end after the completion of the T20 World Cup 2021.

Kohli had already told the selectors that he would like to remain the captain of the ODI and the Test side. However, the selectors ignored his wish and went ahead with their decision. Shastri has mentioned that this move might be a blessing in disguise for both the captains.

“It’s the right way to go. This could be a blessing in disguise for Virat and Rohit. For one guy to handle all three formats is not easy at all in this time of living in and out of bio-bubbles because of Covid.

“Virat can focus on red-ball cricket and lead for as long as he wants to lead in Tests. It will allow him to sit back and think on his game because he’s got a good 5-6 years left in him,” Shastri said on Star Sports.

Kohli’s words indicated a lack of communication between him and BCCI: Ravi Shastri

Earlier this week, Shastri had also said that Sourav Ganguly, BCCI’s president, should come out to give his side of the story, after Kohli’s claims during his press conference. He also mentioned that both parties could have settled this matter with better communication.

“Virat has given his side of the story, it needs the board president to give his side of the story. With good communication, the situation could have been handled better,” Shastri had said.

The Indian team is currently playing the first Test of South Africa’s tour in Centurion. The three-match Test series will be followed by a three-match ODI series where Rohit would captain the Indian team for the first time since being appointed to this position.