NEW DELHI: When Virat Kohli quit the Test captaincy after the 2022 tour of South Africa, the shocking move stunned the cricketing world including the top brass of the Indian Cricket board.
Former India captain and BCCI president Sourav Ganguly recently revealed that Kohli’s announcement of stepping down as Test captain came as a surprise for the board and even they were not ready for it.
Ganguly’s latest remarks came in the wake of fans calling for the reinstatement of Kohli as India’s Test captain after the Rohit Sharma-led side suffered a 209-run defeat to Australia in the World Test Championship final.
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Time for Team India to bite the transition bullet?
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<p>Team India is still reeling under the 209-run loss to Australia in the World Test Championship (WTC) final at The Oval on Sunday. </p>
<p>The Indian batters flopped when it mattered and the truth is the top and middle order have failed to perform consistently, specially overseas. </p>
<p>Captain Rohit Sharma appeared in 11 Tests, amassing 758 runs at 42.11 with two centuries in the WTC cycle. </p>
<p>Rohit’s away record has been significantly better compared to the home numbers during this period, averaging 52.57 as against 36.88. But at 36, can he last till 2025? </p>
<p>The failure of Cheteshwar Pujara to kick on against Australia is severely hurting as he was perceived to be in fine fettle after his exploits with Sussex in the County Cricket. </p>
<p>Pujara played 17 Tests in the 2021-2023 WTC cycle and made 928 runs at an average of 32 with a solitary hundred, a record so underwhelming for a team’s No. 3. </p>
<p>Few other batsmen in the last decade have dominated the bowlers with modern-day great Virat Kohli’s arrogance but now just the facade remains as he struggles to build those edifices in Test cricket. </p>
<p>In the just concluded WTC cycle, Kohli made 932 runs from 17 Tests, averaging 32.13 with solitary hundred, a 186 against Australia earlier this year at one of the one of the flattest featherbeds in Ahmedabad. </p>
<p>Kohli’s away average in same period dipped to 28.43 with no hundred. </p>
<p>The recently resurrected Ajinkya Rahane averages 24.64 in the last WTC cycle. </p>
The then president Ganguly also said that it was Kohli’s personal decision to quit captaincy and only he can reveal why he left the top job in the longest format of the game.
“BCCI was not prepared for Virat Kohli leaving the Test captaincy. It was unexpected for us also after the South Africa tour. Only Virat Kohli can reveal why he left the captaincy. There is no point talking about this now because Virat Kohli left the Test captaincy. Selectors had to appoint an India captain. And Rohit was the best option at that time,” Ganguly told Aaj Tak in an interview after the WTC final.
Kohli finished his tenure as the fourth-most successful captain in Test history, with 40 victories and 11 draws in 68 matches as the Indian captain.
The 34-year-old is only behind Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh on the list of captains with the most Test wins.
(With inputs from IANS)
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