Not the selectors' call: Former India pacer feels BCCI was behind Virat Kohli being sacked as ODI captain

Ever since the BCCI announced Rohit Sharma as the limited-overs captain, sacking Virat Kohli as the 50-over skipper, there has been a huge outrage in world cricket. While many thought things might not be at its best between Hitman and Kohli, the latter cleared the air in an explosive presser ahead of India's departure for South Africa.

While many have reacted to Kohli's statements, where he has openly denied having any prior communication before being removed as ODI captain and also of not having been told to reconsider quitting as T20I captain by BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly, former India pacer Atul Wassan has claimed that it must have been the board's decision to remove Kohli as the ODI captain and not the selectors'.

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Wassan told on CNN News 18, "I think Virat wanted to carry on till the 2023 World Cup, and they have done well in one-day cricket. We have not won any big trophy but generally we have done well. He is the premium one-day batter in the world. It could have been handled better and there was no need to jump to an immediate reaction."

He further asserted, "Unless the board wants to send out a signal, that 'Virat… ok, enough is enough. You are not doing well and we haven't won much, so this is a penalty’. That's what happened. It is not the selectors' call; it is the board's decision."

"It's a culmination of many things, and the biggest factor is Virat's form. That has contributed. If Virat was doing well and even if India did not win, nobody would have touched him, and also Ravi Shastri's moving out. They worked really well. With Ravi Shastri going out and a new style of thinking coming in… Rahul Dravid is a no-nonsense guy. He would call it right away. And probably that rankling of what happened with Anil Kumble as well."

"All these things got piled up to point where people said, ‘alright, let us look forward’. Virat would feel that he has been hard done by. A collective thought must have circulated among the top brass. They must have thought that this is the right time to clip Kohli's wings so that he isn't allowed to what he likes, and especially with Ravi no longer being there," added Wassan.

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2021 hasn't been very kind to Kohli. While he hasn't been able to break his century-drought, he couldn't even lead India to an ICC title in the WTC final as well as in the 2021 T20 World Cup. Moreover, he also lost captaincy in the white-ball formats and will now look to start afresh in the upcoming three Tests between India and South Africa in the African nation, starting on December 26 in Centurion.

Under Kohli, India have won a Test series in Australia and also have an unassailable lead in the five-match series against England in the United Kingdom. Hence, the 33-year-old will now look to lead India to their maiden series win in whites on South African soil and silence the outside noise, being against him in the aftermath of the ODI captaincy row.