Former Indian pacer Madan Lal was surprised with Virat Kohli’s decision to quit Test captaincy, saying that it seemed the right-hander is still annoyed with BCCI for sacking him as the ODI skipper.
Just a day after India lost the Test series against South Africa, Virat Kohli only worsened the wounds of Indian fans as he, in a bombshell announcement, stated that he’s stepping down as the Indian Test skipper.
The premier batter will now no longer lead India in any format. Notably, the 33-year-old in November last year stepped down as the T20I skipper and then was later in December was sacked as the ODI skipper by BCCI.
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The statements from both ends didn’t match and it eventually turned into a big controversy. The governing body received a lot of flak for the way they removed Kohli as the Indian ODI skipper.
Now Virat Kohli stepping down as the Test skipper has made many criticize BCCI for his decision. Although the right-hander didn’t mention anything about why he resigned as a captain, his statement has left many confused.
Speaking to India today, former Indian cricketer Madan Lal said that Virat Kohli is still annoyed with BCCI’s decision to sack him as the ODI skipper and this might well be the reason why he stepped down as the Test captain.
"It has definitely surprised me that Virat Kohli has left Test captaincy. I think he is still very annoyed with the decision of the selectors or the board when hey said you're not going to be the captain of the 50-overs side. That I think he still has in mind, he is still thinking 'why they removed from the 50-over format?” Madan Lal said.
Madan Lal further said that it was expected that Virat Kohli will lead the Test side for a long time. But sudden resignation from the leadership role clearly depicts he’s very annoyed with his sacking as the ODI skipper.
"We knew he is going to be the captain for Tests, he was a very successful series. I definitely think he is very annoyed with the selectors or the board that he was removed from 50-over captaincy," he said.
Virat Kohli ended his tenure as the most successful Indian skipper with 40 wins to his name from 68 matches at a win percentage of 58.92%. It remains to be seen who will selectors name as the next Indian Test captain.
(India Today inputs)
