Indian Test captain Virat Kohli addressed the media ahead of the team's departure for the upcoming three-match Test series in South Africa. Virat has been at the centre of a lot of rumours and conversation of late after the Board of Control for Cricket in India's decision to appoint Rohit Sharma as India's captain in One-Day Internationals. A number of former cricketers have put forward their views on the issue including batting great Sunil Gavaskar.
According to Gavaskar, it could have been Virat Kohli’s initial statement when he announced that he would step down as India’s T20I captain may have played a role in his removal. Kohli had announced his decision to step down from the T20I captaincy position before the start of the World Cup held in UAE. “If I remember correctly it said ‘I will continue to lead India in Test and ODIs’. I think that line could have been changed to I would be available to lead India in Test and ODIs," Sunil Gavaskar noted. “The presumptions he would be the captain for Test and ODIs could have been one of the reasons why, there was this little anti-feeling against him," he added. Earlier, Gavaskar had slammed Mohammad Azharuddin for his comments on Rohit and Kohli. Azharuddin took to twitter on Tuesday, indicating a rift in the leadership group.
"Virat Kohli has informed that he's not available for the ODI series & Rohit Sharma is unavailable for d upcoming test. There is no harm in taking a break but d timing has to be better. This just substantiates speculation abt d rift. Neither will be giving up d another form of cricket," Azharuddin had tweeted. But Gavaskar told India Today that unless there is proof one should not 'jump to conclusion'. "Unless both the players come out with something, we should not jump to conclusions. Yes, Azharuddin has said something but if he has got some inside information about what has happened then he should be coming out and telling us what happened," said Gavaskar."Till then, I will give the benefit of the doubt to both the players. Because both have served Indian cricket brilliantly and I don't think it is fair at all for any one of us, without having exact information, to be pointing fingers at either of them," added Gavaskar.
