Virat Kohli has been a phenomenal player. At the height of his cricketing career, he was an irreplaceable and unmatched asset for the Indian cricket team. Virat Kohli became the full-time captain in January 2017 against a visiting England side. Since then, he led India in 95 one-day internationals and managed to win 65 times. Virat Kohli has the best win percentage of 70.43. As ODI captain, Virat Kohli also has the highest batting average of 72.65. The man hit 21 centuries in the 91 innings he played during his captaincy. But winning bilateral ODI series is no match to winning ICC tournaments, and on the championships and World Cup front – Virat Kohli has been a dud.
Also read: Virat Kohli had to be thrown out to make Rohit Sharma the captain
Virat Kohli was axed as the white ball captain of the Indian team on December 8, reportedly without any comprehensive talks with the BCCI. The Board of Cricket Control in India (BCCI) took a unilateral decision to remove Kohli from ODI captaincy and replace him with Rohit Sharma. They did so by announcing their decision in a tweet as secondary information. Evidently, tensions are rife between Virat Kohli and the BCCI, led by Sourav Ganguly. Virat Kohli’s captaincy career is not a phase of Indian cricket which will be remembered in the times to come, much like Sachin Tendulkar’s stint as the Indian skipper from 1996 to 2000. Therefore, not being able to captain a team efficiently and to victories is not something to be ashamed of. It is a not a statement on a player’s skills. Sachin Tendulkar knew this, which is why he was humble when he was replaced by Sourav Ganguly in 2000. Tendulkar did not treat the axing as an affront to his ego, but Virat Kohli has done just that.
Virat Kohli allows tensions to rise:
Some players are just not fit for leadership roles. They do astoundingly well as individual players contributing to the glory of their team, but when it comes to captaincy, not everyone has the capacity to lead their teams to successive and high-voltage victories. Again, Sachin Tendulkar knew this. He knew he was much better-off as a team player rather than a team leader. He did not allow his ego to cloud his judgement and statements.
Ever since Virat Kohli has been axed as captain, there has been a palpable sense of hostility between him, his extremist fans, and the BCCI. On Wednesday, Virat Kohli addressed a press conference before the team embarked on a test tour to South Africa under his captaincy. It took nearly a week for Virat Kohli to come out and clear the air regarding his relationship with Rohit Sharma and the BCCI, after his removal from captaincy. With Rohit Sharma, he reiterated there were no tensions. But when it came to the BCCI, Kohli chose to be more cryptic, making an accusation against Sourav Ganguly himself.
Also read: Virat Kohli fans suffer a massive meltdown, accuse Ganguly of being ‘incompetent’
Kohli alleged that Sourav Ganguly had not urged him to continue captaining the team in the T20 format. Earlier, Ganguly had claimed otherwise. Almost immediately, the BCCI issued a rebuttal, saying once again that the Board had requested Kohli to not give up the T20I captaincy in September. A BCCI source also added that Kohli was informed well in advance on the day of his removal as ODI captain, contrary to the former skipper’s claim that he was contacted only 90 minutes ago.
Virat Kohli, essentially, tried engaging in damage control. He realised matters were going out of his hands and that he needed to calm tempers by appearing conciliatory towards at least the team and its new captain. Evidently, he seems to have made things worse.
Kohli and Tendulkar – a comparative study:
Sachin Tendulkar was replaced by Sourav Ganguly in 2000. Under Tendulkar, India had one of its worse overseas tours ever in the year 1999, when the team went to Australia. India was blanked 0-3 in the Test series and won just one out of the 14 matches in the ODI tri-series involving Pakistan as the third team. Under Sachin’s captaincy, India played 73 ODI matches, out of which it won 23 matches, while losing 43. Tendulkar’s win percentage was an underwhelming 35.07. In Tests, Tendulkar’s record as captain was even worse, with India winning just four and losing nine of the 25 matches while he captained the team. To top it all, Sachin Tendulkar suffered in early 2000s from what was seen as a career-ending tennis arm. Of course, he recovered from it soon and took the bat once again.
Also read: Sachin the man because of whom India started watching cricket and Kohli the one who killed it
Kohli, on the other hand, has had things very easy. Virat Kohli’s win percentage in non-ICC matches and tournaments is much better. In 95 one-day internationals played by the Indian team under Kohli’s tutelage, the Men in Blue managed to win 65 times. So, Kohli’s win percentage is 70.43. But here’s the deal – India has put up abysmal shows at ICC tournaments under Kohli’s leadership. Recently, the Indian team suffered a humiliating loss and subsequent exit from the ICC T20 World Cup. But somehow, Kohli and his fans want the country to ignore these humiliations, and keep harping on the man’s win percentage alone. Sure, Kohli is a brilliant player. But he is not captain material if he cannot win ICC trophies and dominate the global cricket scene.
Virat Kohli must emerge a bigger man now:
For far too long, Virat Kohli has found himself clouded by controversies and conflicts. It is now time for Kohli to take a step back, introspect, rectify his mistakes, rein in his larger-than-life ego, and come back to take his career to new heights as a player of the team. He tried captaincy. The people of India were not impressed, and he has been removed. This is not the time to sulk and sling mud on others. Rather, it is time for self-reflection.
Virat Kohli thinks he can control all aspects of Indian cricket, but that is simply not the case. He is not happy with the BCCI’s selection of Rahul Dravid as coach, and has also been apprehensive about MS Dhoni’s re entry as a mentor for the team. But who is Virat Kohli to decide who can coach the team as a whole? Kohli allowed authority to get into his head, and that was when he set out on a self-destructive path. His cosy eco-chamber with an overrated Ravi Shastri was shattered, and the man has been in an awful mood ever since. He cannot control his nerves – something which is essential for any captain.
Also read: Naming and Shaming Sourav Ganguly – Fans of Virat Kohli hit a new low
If Virat Kohli does not set on a course-correction immediately, his lasting impression on Indian cricket will be his controversial removal as the white-ball captain. If he continues antagonising the BCCI, he will soon lose captaincy of the Test cricket team as well. That would pretty much be the end of his career. And even though Kohli is worth a gigantic Rs. 980 crore – it would all be worth nothing. Sachin Tendulkar is called the ‘God of Cricket’. Yet, he is as humble as any ordinary person. Kohli needs to be humble, get off his high-horse and abandon his selective activism which only further angers the Indian public.
Retiring from Indian cricket by remaining a player in IPL is certainly not a see-off which a player of Kohli’s stature should receive. That the Indian team has, in recent times, remained perpetually worn-out for important tournaments due to the craze for IPL is a separate matter altogether. But Virat Kohli needs to get his act straight as soon as possible. It is now or never for the man.
Very well written article and completely on point..the author has successfully dissected the character and negative attitude of Virat Kohli and his super sized ego..
Lol, what do you mean by negative attitude.
He left captaincy after trying everything. It is not ego.
He left odi captaincy even after leading team to semis and finals of 2 events.
And if media just talks about him and bcci, rohit all 24/7 like this author, someone has to step in clear all rumors spread by fucki g reporters.
He also didn’t said that rahul dravid is a bad coach and he didn’t want him.
It is a useless added statement by stupid brains to downgrade his image.
May be this reporter.is also paid by bcci.
What a hopeless article Bby chamchas of BCCI
Worst article and pretty imature one.
Speaking what is truth and clearing all rumors is not ego.
It is the stupid media like you who are creating rift between Indian cricket team.
Better to stay away from all this if you are imature to even understand what is happening behind the curtains.
At times of sachin we didn’t had social media where you all post a article on a player’s personal and private life.
Pretty biased article.
One advice to you delete it!
Baseless article. Needs to be rectified, although I agree about kohli’s ego. I don’t think that is the issue. The issue is also not about the sacking of the captain. It is the way it has been done that is the issue. If BCCI is wrong then 💀💀💀something is wrong with the board’s communication. But if kohli lied or forgot that this meeting even took place or forgot that ganguly told him such a statement about not giving up t20 captaincy. Then this article is probably saying the right thing and it isn’t enough, they must say more and it just shows how stupid an Indian captain and player of such stature can get.
Perfect….its virat kohli no doubt should learn from tendulkar.
Well written Sanbeer!
Kohli and Shastri, yes they are quite similar as also rightly pointed out by Mr. Shastri recently. They both want to sit on top and keep talking without any tangible output. They are bragging about so many bilateral wins. Let me tell you this Indian side is the best side in the world not just now, its around a decade now. Like 20 players you by-heart know names who does really well, and like you can make two separate teams and still they both can beat any side anywhere in the world, i can bet you. Just a prequisite to that is to have a leader with positive attitude, better people management skills, and being as trasparent to each player about them in the team, and always avaialble to your team-mates when they need you the most.
Of what I have seen Rohit till now, he is the best man for this job, i mean look him not just his records as captain, but try listening to the interviews of the team-mates, they are all gaga about him. Did anyone heard anything of Virat’s captaincy? Oh dont say about KL Rahul, he is just his left hand. And the most humble person in the cricketing world with the higest knowledge and skillset to train anyone I know is Rahul Dravid. Now India has both of them.
The problem with Kohli and Shastri duo was more of strategic moves they took, and almost brainless captaincy in the ICC tournaments, which led India to defeat in last 4 ICC events (2017 Champions trophy, 2019 OCI WC, 2021 Test Championship, and now 2021 T20 WC). I mean see the standard of Indian captains starting from Ganguly, he was a captain from 2000 to 2005, where:
– 2000 Chamipions Trophy (India reached final and lost against NZ)
– 2002 Chamipions Trophy India were joint winner with SL
– 2002 Natwest Series (tri-nation) winner
– 2003 ODI Wc (Lost against Australia)
I mean India did this good when no-one gave them any chance. And why India did this good? Because Ganguly was heading this team with his clear mind and clear ask from each player of what he wants, and he was responsive to them. You need a strategy to win the match/series/tournament with unity, and not politics. Hope Kohli learns from this, but India already suffered 4 ICC tournaments by now, let see what happens now. All the best to them!