Virat Kohli Press Conference: Here’s how cricket fraternity reacted to Indian Test captain’s explosive statements

Virat Kohli’s sacking as ODI captain has taken the cricket world by storm. The 33-year-old, who stepped down as India’s T20I skipper post the T20 World Cup 2021 last month, stated that he would continue leading the team in the other two formats. However, BCCI handed over the entire charge of white-ball cricket to Rohit Sharma as the selectors didn’t want two separate skippers in ODIs and T20Is.

More interestingly, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had claimed that he ‘personally requested’ Kohli to not quit T20I captaincy but he didn’t agree. Reacting to the same however, Kohli quashed the claims in the sensational press conference on Wednesday (December 15). The 33-year-old, instead, stated he came to know about the decision only 90 minutes before the selection meeting.

I was never told not to give up T20I captaincy: Virat Kohli

“I was contacted one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting on the 8th (December) for the Test series. There was no prior communication to me at all since I announced the T20I captaincy decision until the 8th of December, where I got a call before the selection meeting. I was never told not to give up T20I captaincy,” Kohli claimed.

With Kohli and Ganguly coming up with different statements, the cricket world has been taken by storm. Many other members of the fraternity have also presented their opinion on the same. While several backed the 33-year-old in the saga, the BCCI boss also got support.

Let’s look at how cricket fraternity reacted to Virat Kohli’s explosive press conference:

It is not good to point fingers: Kapil Dev

“It is not good to point fingers on anybody at this point in time. The South Africa tour is coming and please pay attention to the tour. I would say the Board president is the Board president but yes the Indian cricket team captain is also a big thing. But talking badly about each other in public, I don’t think it is a good thing, whether it is Sourav or Kohli,” Kapil told ABP News.

Sourav Ganguly is the best person to answer: Sunil Gavaskar

“I think it (Kohli’s comments) actually doesn’t bring the BCCI into the picture. I think it’s the individual who has to be asked where he got the impression he had conveyed such a message to Kohli. So that’s the only thing. Yes, he is the BCCI president and surely he should be asked why there is this discrepancy,” Gavaskar told India Today.

This is definitely shocking: Virat Kohli’s childhood coach

“This is definitely shocking and this is news to me as well that Virat Kohli said something like this in the press conference. What comment should I give, about why it has happened and why such a thing should not have happened,” Rajkumar Sharma said on India News.

Sourav Ganguly needs to give an answer: Salman Butt

“Ganguly needs to answer this for the betterment of Indian cricket. He is the President of the BCCI and Kohli contradicting him in public is not a small thing. This is unrest,” said Salman Butt on his YouTube channel.

This is a communication breakdown: Aakash Chopra

“Virat Kohli said he never asked for leave, the news had come that he had asked for leave even before Rohit Sharma was named the captain. I mean this is a communication breakdown. Who is doing this and why is somebody doing this?” the former Indian opener said on his YouTube channel.

Statements by Virat in press conference were shocking: Sarandeep Singh 

“BCCI does not play any role in the selection process. The statements given by Virat in the press conference today were a bit shocking. Things shouldn’t have gone wrong the way they did,” Sarandeep Singh was quoted as saying by Hindustan Times.