Kohli Available for SA ODIs, Says There Wasn't Prior Communication On Captaincy

Virat Kohli confirmed he is available for selection for ODIs in SA and rubbished reports stating otherwise.

Virat Kohli during a training session.

Image: BCCI 

A day after reports surfaced about Virat Kohli skipping the ODI series against South Africa, the man himself confirmed in a press conference on Wednesday in Mumbai that he is available for selection.

"I was and I am available for selection all this time. You should not be asking me this question, honestly. This question should be asked to people who are writing about these things and their sources, because as far as I'm concerned, I was always available," he said. "I have not had any communication with the BCCI saying I want to rest, so there were a few things that came out in the past as well that it was said I was attending some events or something that was absolutely not true either."

"All these people who are writing these things and their sources, to me they're absolutely not credible. As I said, I am available for selection for the ODIs in South Africa and I'm always keen to play."

India and South Africa will play 3 Tests and as many ODIs in South Africa.

On Tuesday, initial reports stated that Kohli had asked for a break and would skip the ODI series for personal reasons to spend time with his family, before more reports later in the evening quoted BCCI sources saying that the master batter would be available for the white-ball games and had not asked for a break.

On the day the Indian Test squad was announced for the tour of South Africa, Kohli’s ODI captaincy had been handed over to Rohit Sharma, currently nursing a hamstring injury. The news understandably set the cat among the pigeons with BCCI President Sourav Ganguly later saying that Kohli had been spoken to about the matter.

Speaking on the matter on Wednesday, Kohli said that he had been informed by chief selector Chetan Sharma 90 minutes before the announcement that the captaincy for the shorter format was going to be handed over to Rohit.

"I was contacted one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting on the 8 December for the Test series," Kohli said.

"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. The chief selector discussed with me the Test team, to which we both agreed. And before ending the call, I was told the five selectors have decided I will not be the ODI captain, to which I replied, 'okay, fine', and in the selection call afterwards, we chatted about it briefly. That's what happened. There was no communication prior to that at all."

Kohli also added that he was absolutely fine with the decision and that there was no prior communication.

India’s former T20 and ODI captain also clarified that he was not told to not leave T20 captaincy when he had spoken to the BCCI about it, adding that the news was well received by the administrators.

“I approached the BCCI first explaining my thought process and reasons. And at that point, it was received very well,” Kohli said. “There was no offence. There was no hesitancy. I was not told to not leave the T20I captaincy, rather it was received as a progressive call made in the right direction. I had also communicated that I would like to continue as the skipper in Tests and ODIs unless the office-bearers or the selectors feel I shouldn’t continue. This too was clarified on the call. So my communication with the BCCI was clear from that point on.”

Ganguly had said that he had personally requested Kohli to not step down as captain from the shortest format. Kohli had announced his decision before the start of the 2021 T20 World Cup.

“I personally requested him (Kohli) not to give up the T20I captaincy. Obviously, he felt the workload,” Ganguly had said.

Kohli was also asked about his relationship with Rohit Sharma and he responded emphatically saying there is absolutely no rift between the two batters.

"Between Rohit and I, there is no problem at all. Honestly, over the last 2, 2 and half years, I have been clarifying this. I am tired of doing it. Again and again, the same question is being asked of me. I will tell you one thing with a guarantee that my actions and my communications will never bring down the team till the time I play cricket," Kohli said.