'Wanted Virat Kohli To Lead But...': Sourav Ganguly Puts An End To Captaincy Fiasco
Former Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) chief Sourav Ganguly has made a big revelation while recalling the captain saga, after Virat Kohli stepped down as captain following the tour of South Africa in 2022. Ganguly was taking care of day-to-day operations at BCCI when Kohli was removed from ODI captaincy and was replaced with Rohit Sharma. This happened few months after Kohli resigned as T20I captain, following India's group stage exit from the 2021 T20 World Cup in Dubai.
Kohli, while addressing the media before the team's departure from the Test series in South Africa, said that he was informed by the selectors that he won't be the ODI captain anymore just one and a half hours before the Test squad for the South Africa series was announced and there was no prior communication on the same from the BCCI.
After lost the Test series in South Africa, Kohli also stepped down as captain of the Test team. Ganguly has now revealed that the BCCI wanted Kohli to continue as Test captain, and that Rohit was also reluctant to accept the job.
"Quite natural, you have one captain for the white ball. 50 over and 20 over. We always wanted Virat to captain but he did not want to continue. Rohit was captaining Mumbai Indians, was captaining 50 overs and T20. We needed a Test captain because Virat was the Test captain till then, but he finished in South Africa. I always believed Rohit was a very good captain. So obviously, a request from the board went to him. He was reluctant because of workload. I remember having a conversation with him that you do not want to finish your career without captaining India in Test matches."
"He is a very adjustable and friendly person. If you have a conversation with him, he will accept. Who will not want to be India's test captain. All these conversations were in person. I was a very hands-on board president. Meet players, talk to players," Ganguly told news agency PTI during an interaction.
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Indian Express
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Later Joe Root (53 not out) and Ben Stokes (33) offered the finishing touches. That wasn't how it looked at tea. Those winning celebrations, as seen from the Western Terrace 😍🏴 — Sky Sports Cricket (@SkyCricket) June 24, 2025 Before the final session, finally after seven batsmen had hit centuries, five bowlers had conceded more than hundred runs, close to 10 catches were dropped, with one five-wicket haul and several rain stoppages, England needed 102 runs in about 37 overs to win the opening Test of the series against India at Headingley. At the crease were the present and former England skippers – Stokes and Root – veterans of many impossible chases, the brain trust of England's famous aggressive Bazball brand of cricket. Stopping the home chase to 371 in the fourth inning was a young Indian captain Shubman Gill keen to make an early impression. There were characters, a riveting plot and context too. But still there was no drama. 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On a largely overcast day, Bumrah was to be the tougher task but the England openers were measured in their chase. At 11 am when the game started, England, 21/0 overnight, needed 350 to win. They didn't go for a flying start or got bogged down by playing through Bumrah and went for the slog later. They didn't just look to survive, even when Bumrah bowled, but scored when needed. Indian bowling, except Bumrah, didn't seem to have learnt from their mistakes in the first innings. Siraj did have energy early in the first session, when he troubled the batsmen with seam movement. But he wasn't consistent with this length. The performance of the other two pacers, Prasidh Krishna and Shardul Thakur, was also mediocre. They did take wickets, two apiece, but it was too late in the innings. In the first session, they bowled too short and seam position wasn't ideal to get swing in these conditions. India missed a bowler of Mohammad Shami's skills. 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He talked to his bowlers, consulted the seniors, change fielders, and switched ends of bowlers. But nothing worked. To be fair, no captain can set fields when they aren't consistent with their line or length, or not understanding the conditions to exploit them. What had started as a day of great possibility ended in disappointment. If India lose a Test after scoring 471 and 364 with Bumrah in the team, they need a rethink about the playing XI and tactics. When the Indian players stepped out of the team bus, Jadeja, among the first to de-board, looked for the sun that was hidden by the dark clouds. After a few steps, he tapped the shoulder of Gill. The skipper partially removed his headphones and listened to the senior-most player of his side and nodded his head. Among the last to leave the coach was India's highest run-getter and vice-captain Rishabh Pant. He had a stroller in one hand and a cylindrical wifi speaker, blaring Punjab song, in the other. That speaker would have been on full blast in the dressing room had India won. But at Headingley, it was the Barmy Army's trumpet that was echoing.
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First Post
an hour ago
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'Test cricket at its finest': Experts react as England chase down 371 against India at Headingley
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India Gazette
2 hours ago
- India Gazette
England openers take charge in the first session on final day at Headingley
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