5 key developments and reactions following Virat Kohli’s exit as ODI captain

#3 Kohli wasn’t informed about the decision beforehand: Reports

Virat Kohli during a warm-up session. Pic: Getty Images

Another report in the Indian Express claimed that Kohli wasn’t kept in the loop about the decision to replace him as ODI captain. The report claimed that a senior BCCI official informed them of the move being in the plans for a while. Eventually, the selectors took a call on the matter and named Rohit as ODI captain.

A BCCI insider was quoted as telling the daily:

“The BCCI wanted absolute clarity between red-ball and white-ball cricket. The BCCI wanted a complete (leadership) separation between the longest format and shorter formats to avoid any confusion. In the end, it was left to the selectors to take a call. They decided to appoint Rohit as new ODI captain.”

Under Kohli, India won 15 of 19 bilateral ODI series’. However, they failed to win a single ICC event. The team’s disastrous showing in the T20 World Cup proved to be the last straw for Kohli as far as his ambitions to continue leading in ODIs were concerned.

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#4 “What example are you setting for the youngsters?" - Salman Butt slams BCCI

Virat Kohli in charge during the T20 World Cup. Pic: Getty Images

Former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt has lashed out at the BCCI for sacking Kohli as ODI captain. Reacting to reports of Kohli being given a 48-hour ultimatum to step down, Butt opined that it was not the right way to treat someone who has 70 international centuries to his name.

Responding to BCCI’s move to replace Kohli as India’s one-day captain, Butt said on his YouTube channel:

"How big is this an example for the upcoming guys? That guy has 70 hundreds. The rest of the team combined doesn't have 70 hundreds. At age 30 he was around that number... It's not like he has scored ducks, played the wrong way or lost matches for the team. It's not like his intent has gone down, nor average or strike rate has drastically fallen. He has played brilliantly in supporting acts, played crucial innings in Test matches. But still if this can happen then what will others have to do to avoid a situation like this?”

Following the latest development in Indian cricket, Kohli will lead the Test team during the three-match series in South Africa, while Rohit will take over the reins for the ODIs.

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#5 “Who is captaining in T20Is will also obviously lead in ODIs” - Aakash Chopra backs BCCI

Rohit Sharma (right) during the T20I series against New Zealand. Pic: Getty Images

Former India opener Aakash Chopra has supported BCCI’s decision to replace Kohli as ODI captain. According to Chopra, once Kohli had quit the T20I captaincy, it was a foregone conclusion that Rohit would be named ODI leader as well.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Chopra explained that splitting the captaincy between white-ball and red-ball cricket is the right way to go. He said:

"The day Virat Kohli quit T20I captaincy, it was a foregone conclusion that he would lose his One Day captaincy also very soon. You will go with the captain of the T20s. Who is captaining in T20Is will also obviously lead in ODIs. World over it has never happened that the Test captain is an ODI captain and is not a T20 captain. Or as Test captain and T20 captain but not in One Day. Distinction is always about white-ball cricket and red-ball cricket and that distinction has been settled.”

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Kohli led India in 95 ODIs of which the Men in Blue won 65 and lost 27. He finished his ODI stint as captain with a win percentage of 70.43.