Wriddhiman Saha's revelation of a journalist threatening him continues to make the headlines. On Saturday (February 19), the veteran Indian keeper-batter was dropped from the Test squad ahead of Rohit Sharma's Indian team's forthcoming series versus Sri Lanka at home, from March 04.

Since then, the 37-year-old Saha has been making the news. While he made some explosive claims regarding his Test spot, in an interview with Sportstar, he then further revealed -- on Twitter -- that a journalist is threatening him&nbsp;after he didn't revert to his interview request.

Saha shared the screenshot of the conversation with the journalist and captioned the post, "After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so-called “Respected” journalist! This is where the journalism has gone."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/after-exposing-him-on-twitter-wriddhiman-saha-unwilling-to-reveal-name-of-journalist-who-threatened-him-455256">After exposing him on Twitter, Wriddhiman Saha unwilling to reveal name of journalist who threatened him</a>

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After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so called “Respected” journalist! This is where the journalism has gone. <a href="https://t.co/woVyq1sOZX">pic.twitter.com/woVyq1sOZX</a>
— Wriddhiman Saha (@Wriddhipops) <a href="https://twitter.com/Wriddhipops/status/1495076230713917441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 19, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/saha-shouldnt-have-gone-public-with-communication-from-chief-selector-bcci-says-gangulys-brother-455167">Saha shouldn’t have gone public with communication from chief selector, BCCI, says Ganguly's brother</a>

Since then, many are eager to know the details of the journalist. Many former cricketers such as Ravi Shastri, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Aakash Chopra, etc. have urged Saha to come forward and name the journalist.

Recently, BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhumal reacted to the whole matter and told PTI, "Yes, we will ask Wriddhiman about his tweet and what is the real incident that has happened. We need to know if he was threatened and also the background and context of his tweet. I can't say anything more. The secretary (Jay Shah) will certainly speak to Wriddhiman."

On Tuesday (February 22), Saha made it clear that he has no&nbsp;intention to reveal the name of the journalist. He stressed that he doesn't feel right to bring&nbsp;down someone publicly.&nbsp;

“I haven’t received any communication from the BCCI yet. If they ask me to reveal the name (of the journalist), I would tell them it was never my intention to harm somebody’s career, to pull a person down. That’s why I didn’t reveal the name in my tweet. That’s not the teaching of my parents. The main purpose of my tweet was to expose the fact that there’s someone in the media who does such things, disrespecting a player’s wish,” Saha was quoted as saying by the&nbsp;Indian Express.

Wriddhiman Saha's revelation of a journalist threatening him continues to make the headlines. On Saturday (February 19), the veteran Indian keeper-batter was dropped from the Test squad ahead of Rohit Sharma's Indian team's forthcoming series versus Sri Lanka at home, from March 04.

Wriddhiman Saha's revelation of a journalist threatening him continues to make the headlines. On Saturday (February 19), the veteran Indian keeper-batter was dropped from the Test squad ahead of Rohit Sharma's Indian team's forthcoming series versus Sri Lanka at home, from March 04. Since then, the 37-year-old Saha has been making the news. While he made some explosive claims regarding his Test spot, in an interview with Sportstar, he then further revealed -- on Twitter -- that a journalist is threatening him after he didn't revert to his interview request. Saha shared the screenshot of the conversation with the journalist and captioned the post, "After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so-called “Respected” journalist! This is where the journalism has gone." ALSO READ | After exposing him on Twitter, Wriddhiman Saha unwilling to reveal name of journalist who threatened him After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so called “Respected” journalist! This is where the journalism has gone. pic.twitter.com/woVyq1sOZX — Wriddhiman Saha (@Wriddhipops) February 19, 2022 × ALSO READ | Saha shouldn’t have gone public with communication from chief selector, BCCI, says Ganguly's brother Since then, many are eager to know the details of the journalist. Many former cricketers such as Ravi Shastri, Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh, Aakash Chopra, etc. have urged Saha to come forward and name the journalist. Recently, BCCI Treasurer Arun Dhumal reacted to the whole matter and told PTI, "Yes, we will ask Wriddhiman about his tweet and what is the real incident that has happened. We need to know if he was threatened and also the background and context of his tweet. I can't say anything more. The secretary (Jay Shah) will certainly speak to Wriddhiman." On Tuesday (February 22), Saha made it clear that he has no intention to reveal the name of the journalist. He stressed that he doesn't feel right to bring down someone publicly. “I haven’t received any communication from the BCCI yet. If they ask me to reveal the name (of the journalist), I would tell them it was never my intention to harm somebody’s career, to pull a person down. That’s why I didn’t reveal the name in my tweet. That’s not the teaching of my parents. The main purpose of my tweet was to expose the fact that there’s someone in the media who does such things, disrespecting a player’s wish,” Saha was quoted as saying by the Indian Express.

BCCI will ask Wriddhiman Saha about his tweet and if he was bullied, says Treasurer Arun Dhumal

Team India's Test squad for the forthcoming home series versus Sri Lanka was revealed on Saturday (February 19). The squad news made heads turn as the national selectors announced Rohit Sharma as the new Test captain, making him India's full-time skipper, whereas senior pros such as Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha failed to make the cut.

Saha's omission made maximum noise&nbsp;as the veteran keeper-batter made some explosive claims post his exclusion. In an interview with Sportstar, the 37-year-old wicketkeeper claimed that head coach Rahul Dravid had told him that the team management is not considering him for future series -- after the South Africa Tests -- as they want to groom a young KS Bharat as the second keeper-batter after Rishabh Pant.

Further, Saha also revealed that he was assured of his place in the Test side by BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly post the first Test between India and New Zealand at Kanpur, in late 2021. Now, Ganguly's brother Snehashish Ganguly -- who is also the secretary of&nbsp;Cricket Association of Bengal's (CAB) -- feels Saha shouldn't have disclosed private chats from BCCI officials, head coach and chief&nbsp;selector.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/shouldnt-be-different-selection-criteria-for-different-people-wriddhiman-sahas-coach-on-dravids-remark-455114">Shouldn't be different selection criteria for different people: Wriddhiman Saha's coach on Dravid's remark</a>

“This is my personal opinion, but what was communicated to him (Saha) by the chief selector/BCCI was private. He probably shouldn’t have gone public with that. Also, he could have played the Ranji Trophy. He cited personal reasons for pulling out and we have to respect that. The door is always open for him, whenever he wants to join the squad,” said Snehashish in a press conference.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-to-investigate-journalists-threat-messages-to-wriddhiman-saha-will-take-action-against-guilty-report-454987">BCCI to investigate journalist's threat messages to Wriddhiman Saha, will take action against guilty - Report</a>

After his claims on Dravid and Ganguly, Saha also dropped a bomb by exposing a journalist who was threatening him after the former didn't entertain his interview requests. Since then, many&nbsp;former cricketers have supported Saha as BCCI is reportedly investigating the whole case.

Saha isn't a part of Bengal's squad in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2021/22 edition -- due to personal reasons -- and will next be seen for Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2022.

Team India's Test squad for the forthcoming home series versus Sri Lanka was revealed on Saturday (February 19). The squad news made heads turn as the national selectors announced Rohit Sharma as the new Test captain, making him India's full-time skipper, whereas senior pros such as Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha failed to make the cut.

Team India's Test squad for the forthcoming home series versus Sri Lanka was revealed on Saturday (February 19). The squad news made heads turn as the national selectors announced Rohit Sharma as the new Test captain, making him India's full-time skipper, whereas senior pros such as Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma, Ajinkya Rahane and Wriddhiman Saha failed to make the cut. Saha's omission made maximum noise as the veteran keeper-batter made some explosive claims post his exclusion. In an interview with Sportstar, the 37-year-old wicketkeeper claimed that head coach Rahul Dravid had told him that the team management is not considering him for future series -- after the South Africa Tests -- as they want to groom a young KS Bharat as the second keeper-batter after Rishabh Pant. Further, Saha also revealed that he was assured of his place in the Test side by BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly post the first Test between India and New Zealand at Kanpur, in late 2021. Now, Ganguly's brother Snehashish Ganguly -- who is also the secretary of Cricket Association of Bengal's (CAB) -- feels Saha shouldn't have disclosed private chats from BCCI officials, head coach and chief selector. ALSO READ | Shouldn't be different selection criteria for different people: Wriddhiman Saha's coach on Dravid's remark “This is my personal opinion, but what was communicated to him (Saha) by the chief selector/BCCI was private. He probably shouldn’t have gone public with that. Also, he could have played the Ranji Trophy. He cited personal reasons for pulling out and we have to respect that. The door is always open for him, whenever he wants to join the squad,” said Snehashish in a press conference. ALSO READ | BCCI to investigate journalist's threat messages to Wriddhiman Saha, will take action against guilty - Report After his claims on Dravid and Ganguly, Saha also dropped a bomb by exposing a journalist who was threatening him after the former didn't entertain his interview requests. Since then, many former cricketers have supported Saha as BCCI is reportedly investigating the whole case. Saha isn't a part of Bengal's squad in the ongoing Ranji Trophy 2021/22 edition -- due to personal reasons -- and will next be seen for Gujarat Titans (GT) in IPL 2022.

Saha shouldn’t have gone public with communication from chief selector, BCCI, says Ganguly's brother

Senior India wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha recently exposed a 'respected journalist' on Twitter by sharing a screenshot of insulting messages he received from the person after denying an interview. Saha was dropped from India's Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka at home as the selectors announced the squad last week.

Following his exclusion from the squad, Saha went on to make some explosive claims regarding the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly and current India head coach Rahul Dravid. The BCCI has now decided to conduct a 'thorough investigation' into Saha's recent comments and his tweet revealing threatening messages from a journalist.

In the screenshot shared by Saha on Twitter, the journalist can be seen making insulting comments against the senior cricketer. Ever since his post went viral, Saha has received immense support from the cricket fraternity with a number of former cricketers urging him to expose the so-called journalist.

As per a report in the Times of India, BCCI is calling for a 'thorough investigation' in the matter as Saha is a contracted cricketer and the board doesn't want to let it's player down. The BCCI will also investigate the wicket-keeper batter's comments about receiving messages of assurance from board president Sourav Ganguly.

"Saha is a contracted cricketer of the BCCI. The onus is on the Board to not let its own player down. That aside, if there is any kind of a nexus at work here, one has to look into it," officials tracking the development told TOI.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/time-for-sourav-ganguly-to-step-in-ravi-shastri-shocked-as-wriddhiman-saha-threatened-by-a-journalist-454956">Time for Sourav Ganguly to step in: Ravi Shastri 'shocked' as Saha threatened by a journalist</a>

As per the report, the BCCI will approach Saha for the WhatsApp messages and a forensic investigation will be conducted. If the person who sent the messages is found to be an actual journalist covering Indian cricket, he will be banned by the board. The board is also determined to find out if there are other cricketers who have had to go through similar situations.

"If the sender of those messages indeed happens to be a journalist covering Indian cricket, the Board will take steps towards banning him. It is also important to see if anybody else has gone through this," an official was quoted as saying by TOI.

The board official also stated that BCCI president Ganguly's comments will be investigated as well. The official questioned in what capacity did the BCCI president gave assurance to a player about his spot in the Indian Test team.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dravid-suggested-retirement-ganguly-assured-test-spot-wriddhiman-saha-makes-explosive-revelations-454719">Dravid suggested retirement, Ganguly assured Test spot: Wriddhiman Saha makes explosive revelations</a>

"The Rahul Dravid-bit is understandable. He's the national coach and may have wanted to keep his players in the loop. That's between the coach and the players. What was the need for a BCCI official to speak with Saha and assure him of a place in the side? 'I don't need to worry till he's there'. Kitni galat baat hai yeh (How wrong it is to say something like this)," officials told TOI.

In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Saha revealed he had received a congratulatory message from Ganguly after his 61-run knock in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, in November last year. The wicket-keeper batter claimed that Ganguly had assured him that his spot in the Test side is safe till the time he is the president of BCCI.

"The biggest shock was that when I scored 61 against New Zealand in Kanpur despite being injured, Dadi (as BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is referred to), texted to congratulate me and said I didn't need to worry about anything till he is there. Naturally, I was shocked at what I was told immediately one series after," Saha, who was dropped from the Test squad on Saturday, told ESPNCricinfo.

Senior India wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha recently exposed a 'respected journalist' on Twitter by sharing a screenshot of insulting messages he received from the person after denying an interview.

Senior India wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha recently exposed a 'respected journalist' on Twitter by sharing a screenshot of insulting messages he received from the person after denying an interview. Saha was dropped from India's Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka at home as the selectors announced the squad last week. Following his exclusion from the squad, Saha went on to make some explosive claims regarding the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly and current India head coach Rahul Dravid. The BCCI has now decided to conduct a 'thorough investigation' into Saha's recent comments and his tweet revealing threatening messages from a journalist. In the screenshot shared by Saha on Twitter, the journalist can be seen making insulting comments against the senior cricketer. Ever since his post went viral, Saha has received immense support from the cricket fraternity with a number of former cricketers urging him to expose the so-called journalist. As per a report in the Times of India, BCCI is calling for a 'thorough investigation' in the matter as Saha is a contracted cricketer and the board doesn't want to let it's player down. The BCCI will also investigate the wicket-keeper batter's comments about receiving messages of assurance from board president Sourav Ganguly. "Saha is a contracted cricketer of the BCCI. The onus is on the Board to not let its own player down. That aside, if there is any kind of a nexus at work here, one has to look into it," officials tracking the development told TOI. Also Read: Time for Sourav Ganguly to step in: Ravi Shastri 'shocked' as Saha threatened by a journalist As per the report, the BCCI will approach Saha for the WhatsApp messages and a forensic investigation will be conducted. If the person who sent the messages is found to be an actual journalist covering Indian cricket, he will be banned by the board. The board is also determined to find out if there are other cricketers who have had to go through similar situations. "If the sender of those messages indeed happens to be a journalist covering Indian cricket, the Board will take steps towards banning him. It is also important to see if anybody else has gone through this," an official was quoted as saying by TOI. The board official also stated that BCCI president Ganguly's comments will be investigated as well. The official questioned in what capacity did the BCCI president gave assurance to a player about his spot in the Indian Test team. Also Read: Dravid suggested retirement, Ganguly assured Test spot: Wriddhiman Saha makes explosive revelations "The Rahul Dravid-bit is understandable. He's the national coach and may have wanted to keep his players in the loop. That's between the coach and the players. What was the need for a BCCI official to speak with Saha and assure him of a place in the side? 'I don't need to worry till he's there'. Kitni galat baat hai yeh (How wrong it is to say something like this)," officials told TOI. In an interview with ESPNCricinfo, Saha revealed he had received a congratulatory message from Ganguly after his 61-run knock in the first Test against New Zealand in Kanpur, in November last year. The wicket-keeper batter claimed that Ganguly had assured him that his spot in the Test side is safe till the time he is the president of BCCI. "The biggest shock was that when I scored 61 against New Zealand in Kanpur despite being injured, Dadi (as BCCI president Sourav Ganguly is referred to), texted to congratulate me and said I didn't need to worry about anything till he is there. Naturally, I was shocked at what I was told immediately one series after," Saha, who was dropped from the Test squad on Saturday, told ESPNCricinfo.

BCCI to investigate journalist's threat messages to Wriddhiman Saha, will take action against guilty - Report

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly to dive in and extend his support towards senior wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha, who was recently threatened by a 'journalist'. Shastri said it was shocking to see a player being threatened by a journalist and urged Ganguly to find out who the person is to protect the interest of other players.

Saha on Saturday had shared a screenshot of a conversation between him and a journalist on his official Twitter account. In the chat, the journalist can be seen telling Saha that he doesn't take 'insults kindly' after being seemingly denied an interview by the wicket-keeper batter.

Sharing the screenshot of the chat on Twitter, Saha wrote - "After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so-called “Respected” journalist! This is where the journalism has gone." Ever since he shared the post, the cricket fraternity has united to extend their support to Saha.

A number of former cricketers including the likes of Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and RP Singh among others have expressed their support for Saha and urged him to name and shame the so-called journalist. Shastri too reacted to Saha's post on Sunday and expressed his shock.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/you-will-not-be-considered-wriddhiman-saha-reveals-what-chief-selector-messaged-him-before-test-axe-454884">'You will not be considered': Saha reveals what chief selector messaged him before Test axe</a>

"Shocking a player being threatened by a journo. Blatant position abuse. Something that's happening too frequently with #TeamIndia. Time for the BCCI PREZ to dive in. Find out who the person is in the interest of every cricketer. This is serious coming from ultimate team man WS," Shastri wrote in a tweet.

Saha was dropped from India's Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka at home. The Chetan Sharma-led selection panel announced the squad on Saturday leaving out Saha and three other senior players - Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/dravid-suggested-retirement-ganguly-assured-test-spot-wriddhiman-saha-makes-explosive-revelations-454719">Dravid suggested retirement, Ganguly assured Test spot:&nbsp;Saha makes explosive revelations</a>

Saha went on to reveal that he had been told by India head coach Rahul Dravid that he was no more in the team's plans going forward and should consider retirement. After their conversation went public, head coach Dravid was asked about the same after India's 3-0 win in the T20I series against West Indies on Sunday.

Dravid said he was not at all hurt by Saha's comments and that he always respected the wicket-keeper's contributions towards the team. Dravid also stated that Saha deserved honesty and clarity from his side.

"I am not actually hurt at all, I have deep respect for Wriddhiman Saha and his achievements and his contribution to Indian cricket. My conversation with him came from that place, I just felt that he deserved honesty and clarity. I did not want him to learn about it from the media," said Dravid in a press conference.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly to dive in and extend his support towards senior wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha, who was recently threatened by a 'journalist'.

Former India head coach Ravi Shastri has urged the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly to dive in and extend his support towards senior wicket-keeper batter Wriddhiman Saha, who was recently threatened by a 'journalist'. Shastri said it was shocking to see a player being threatened by a journalist and urged Ganguly to find out who the person is to protect the interest of other players. Saha on Saturday had shared a screenshot of a conversation between him and a journalist on his official Twitter account. In the chat, the journalist can be seen telling Saha that he doesn't take 'insults kindly' after being seemingly denied an interview by the wicket-keeper batter. Sharing the screenshot of the chat on Twitter, Saha wrote - "After all of my contributions to Indian cricket..this is what I face from a so-called “Respected” journalist! This is where the journalism has gone." Ever since he shared the post, the cricket fraternity has united to extend their support to Saha. A number of former cricketers including the likes of Virender Sehwag, Harbhajan Singh and RP Singh among others have expressed their support for Saha and urged him to name and shame the so-called journalist. Shastri too reacted to Saha's post on Sunday and expressed his shock. Also Read: 'You will not be considered': Saha reveals what chief selector messaged him before Test axe "Shocking a player being threatened by a journo. Blatant position abuse. Something that's happening too frequently with #TeamIndia. Time for the BCCI PREZ to dive in. Find out who the person is in the interest of every cricketer. This is serious coming from ultimate team man WS," Shastri wrote in a tweet. Saha was dropped from India's Test squad for the upcoming two-match series against Sri Lanka at home. The Chetan Sharma-led selection panel announced the squad on Saturday leaving out Saha and three other senior players - Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ishant Sharma. Also Read: Dravid suggested retirement, Ganguly assured Test spot: Saha makes explosive revelations Saha went on to reveal that he had been told by India head coach Rahul Dravid that he was no more in the team's plans going forward and should consider retirement. After their conversation went public, head coach Dravid was asked about the same after India's 3-0 win in the T20I series against West Indies on Sunday. Dravid said he was not at all hurt by Saha's comments and that he always respected the wicket-keeper's contributions towards the team. Dravid also stated that Saha deserved honesty and clarity from his side. "I am not actually hurt at all, I have deep respect for Wriddhiman Saha and his achievements and his contribution to Indian cricket. My conversation with him came from that place, I just felt that he deserved honesty and clarity. I did not want him to learn about it from the media," said Dravid in a press conference.

Time for Sourav Ganguly to step in: Ravi Shastri 'shocked' as Wriddhiman Saha threatened by a journalist

Wriddhiman Saha was not picked in India's Test squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka series at home. Saha was among four senior players who were dropped from the squad for the two-match series against the visitors. The Chetan Sharma-led selection panel announced India's T20I and Test squad in a virtual press conference on Saturday (February 29).

While Rohit Sharma was appointed India's permanent captain in Tests, the selectors made a bold call by dropping senior players like Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma and Saha. While chief selector Sharma refused to divulge the details of the reason behind not including Saha in the squad, he also insisted the senior wicket-keeper not playing in the ongoing Ranji Trophy is not a concern for the selectors.

His non-selection has not gone down well with Saha, who has made some explosive revelations after being dropped from the Indian Test squad. The senior wicket-keeper batter revealed that he had received an assurance from BCCI president Sourav Ganguly that his spot in the Indian Test team is secure as long as he is at the helm of the Indian cricket board.

Saha had played a crucial knock of 61 runs in the first Test against New Zealand last year to bail India out of trouble in Kanpur. Saha claimed it was after his unbeaten 61 against the Kiwis that he had received a message from Ganguly, the president of BCCI, assuring him of his spot is safe in the Test team as long as he was there.

“After scoring 61 against New Zealand at Kanpur, Dadi (Ganguly) congratulated me over WhatsApp and mentioned, ‘As long as I’m here (helming the BCCI), you would be in the team’. Such a message from the BCCI president really boosted my confidence. What I’m struggling to understand is that how things have changed so fast,” Saha was quoted as saying by PTI.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/chief-selector-chetan-sharma-explains-reason-behind-dropping-pujara-rahane-from-indias-test-squad-454610">Chief selector Chetan Sharma explains reason behind dropping Pujara, Rahane from India's Test squad</a>

Rahul Dravid asked me to consider retiring: Wriddhman Saha&nbsp;

After venting his frustration out against BCCI president Ganguly, Saha also made some startling revelations against India's current head coach Rahul Dravid. The senior wicket-keeper batter said he was told by the Indian team management that he will not be considered for selection in the Test side anymore and that he should retire.

"The team management had told me that I would not be considered henceforth. I could not tell this so long as I was part of the India team setup. Even coach Rahul Dravid suggested that I think about taking retirement," PTI quoted Saha as saying.

The Indian team has replaced Saha with the young KS Bharat, who has been churning out great performances in the domestic circuit and is seen as a potential long-term competitor for Rishabh Pant as wicket-keeper in the longest format.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rohit-sharma-named-test-captain-as-bcci-announces-squad-for-sri-lanka-series-pujara-rahane-dropped-454583">Rohit&nbsp;named Test captain as BCCI announces squad for Sri Lanka series; Pujara, Rahane dropped</a>

Saha, who is currently not playing the ongoing Ranji Trophy, is unlikely to make a comeback in the Indian Test side if he fails to prove his mettle once again in the domestic circuit. 
&nbsp;

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Wriddhiman Saha was not picked in India's Test squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka series at home. Saha was among four senior players who were dropped from the squad for the two-match series against the visitors.

Wriddhiman Saha was not picked in India's Test squad for the upcoming Sri Lanka series at home. Saha was among four senior players who were dropped from the squad for the two-match series against the visitors. The Chetan Sharma-led selection panel announced India's T20I and Test squad in a virtual press conference on Saturday (February 29). While Rohit Sharma was appointed India's permanent captain in Tests, the selectors made a bold call by dropping senior players like Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ishant Sharma and Saha. While chief selector Sharma refused to divulge the details of the reason behind not including Saha in the squad, he also insisted the senior wicket-keeper not playing in the ongoing Ranji Trophy is not a concern for the selectors. His non-selection has not gone down well with Saha, who has made some explosive revelations after being dropped from the Indian Test squad. The senior wicket-keeper batter revealed that he had received an assurance from BCCI president Sourav Ganguly that his spot in the Indian Test team is secure as long as he is at the helm of the Indian cricket board. Saha had played a crucial knock of 61 runs in the first Test against New Zealand last year to bail India out of trouble in Kanpur. Saha claimed it was after his unbeaten 61 against the Kiwis that he had received a message from Ganguly, the president of BCCI, assuring him of his spot is safe in the Test team as long as he was there. “After scoring 61 against New Zealand at Kanpur, Dadi (Ganguly) congratulated me over WhatsApp and mentioned, ‘As long as I’m here (helming the BCCI), you would be in the team’. Such a message from the BCCI president really boosted my confidence. What I’m struggling to understand is that how things have changed so fast,” Saha was quoted as saying by PTI. Also Read: Chief selector Chetan Sharma explains reason behind dropping Pujara, Rahane from India's Test squad Rahul Dravid asked me to consider retiring: Wriddhman Saha After venting his frustration out against BCCI president Ganguly, Saha also made some startling revelations against India's current head coach Rahul Dravid. The senior wicket-keeper batter said he was told by the Indian team management that he will not be considered for selection in the Test side anymore and that he should retire. "The team management had told me that I would not be considered henceforth. I could not tell this so long as I was part of the India team setup. Even coach Rahul Dravid suggested that I think about taking retirement," PTI quoted Saha as saying. The Indian team has replaced Saha with the young KS Bharat, who has been churning out great performances in the domestic circuit and is seen as a potential long-term competitor for Rishabh Pant as wicket-keeper in the longest format. Also Read: Rohit named Test captain as BCCI announces squad for Sri Lanka series; Pujara, Rahane dropped Saha, who is currently not playing the ongoing Ranji Trophy, is unlikely to make a comeback in the Indian Test side if he fails to prove his mettle once again in the domestic circuit.

Dravid suggested retirement, Ganguly assured Test spot: Wriddhiman Saha makes explosive revelations

After the IPL mega auction, the focus has now shifted entirely on the forthcoming 15th edition of the cash-rich league. The IPL 2022 edition is set to be held entirely in India. BCCI had to host the IPL 2020 edition in the UAE, following the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, whereas the Indian cricket board had to shift the second-half of last year's edition in the Middle East, due to the second wave of Covid-19, but the 15th season will be held in India.

As per a report in Sportstar, BCCI are likely to host the league across six venues. Five venues in Maharashtra have been 'zeroed in on' -- due avoid flight travel amid such testing times nationwide --&nbsp;whereas the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad will host the knockout games.

For the unversed, the IPL 15 season is set to welcome two new teams -- Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) -- as the number of games in the league will also increase. It will be a 70-match league stage followed by the playoffs (with the total being 74).

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/from-jason-holder-to-tim-david-5-underrated-overseas-stars-who-fetched-big-fat-cheques-at-mega-auction-454108">From Jason Holder to Tim David: 5 underrated overseas stars who fetched big-fat cheques at mega auction</a>

The 15th season will be held in India from March 27 to May 28. The report further stated that the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI are also keen on hosting a couple of games&nbsp;at Jio Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Meanwhile, the Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Stadium, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (in Pune) will&nbsp;host the&nbsp;majority of games during&nbsp;the league stage.&nbsp;

The report has added that the apex cricket board is expected to share the detailed schedule of the forthcoming season by February-end.

The MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the defending champions, having clinched the title for the fourth time during IPL 2021.

After the IPL mega auction, the focus has now shifted entirely on the forthcoming 15th edition of the cash-rich league. The IPL 2022 edition is set to be held entirely in India.

After the IPL mega auction, the focus has now shifted entirely on the forthcoming 15th edition of the cash-rich league. The IPL 2022 edition is set to be held entirely in India. BCCI had to host the IPL 2020 edition in the UAE, following the advent of the Covid-19 pandemic, whereas the Indian cricket board had to shift the second-half of last year's edition in the Middle East, due to the second wave of Covid-19, but the 15th season will be held in India. As per a report in Sportstar, BCCI are likely to host the league across six venues. Five venues in Maharashtra have been 'zeroed in on' -- due avoid flight travel amid such testing times nationwide -- whereas the Narendra Modi Cricket Stadium, Ahmedabad will host the knockout games. For the unversed, the IPL 15 season is set to welcome two new teams -- Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Gujarat Titans (GT) -- as the number of games in the league will also increase. It will be a 70-match league stage followed by the playoffs (with the total being 74). ALSO READ | From Jason Holder to Tim David: 5 underrated overseas stars who fetched big-fat cheques at mega auction The 15th season will be held in India from March 27 to May 28. The report further stated that the Sourav Ganguly-led BCCI are also keen on hosting a couple of games at Jio Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Meanwhile, the Wankhede Stadium, Brabourne Stadium, Dr. D.Y. Patil Sports Stadium, Maharashtra Cricket Association Stadium (in Pune) will host the majority of games during the league stage. The report has added that the apex cricket board is expected to share the detailed schedule of the forthcoming season by February-end. The MS Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings (CSK) are the defending champions, having clinched the title for the fourth time during IPL 2021.

IPL 2022: BCCI likely to be host 15th edition across 6 venues from March 27 to May 28 - Report

A day before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction, reports were circulated that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has been admitted to the hospital for a cardiac check-up.&nbsp;

Dismissing the reports, the Narayana Health City in Bengaluru reports of former Indian cricketer being admitted are incorrect.&nbsp;

In a statement, Dr Nitin Manjunath, Facility Director at the Narayana Health City, said that Ganguly was at the hospital to meet Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, who is the chairman and founder of Narayana Health.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-needs-confidence-rohit-sharma-reacts-to-questions-over-kohlis-continued-lean-patch-452522">'Virat needs confidence?' Rohit Sharma reacts to questions over Kohli's continued lean patch</a>

The statement read, "We would like to clarify that the news of him (Ganguly) being admitted is incorrect. Mr. Sourav Ganguly was at the hospital to meet Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairman &amp; Founder, Narayana Health on a brief, courtesy visit since he was in Bengaluru."

The statement further added that Ganguly will be inaugurating a modern 100-bed Intensive care unit (ICU) on Monday (February 14).&nbsp;

Previously, the 49-year-old Ganguly had undergone treatment for a heart condition earlier this year and he had twice been admitted to the hospital last year after complaining of chest discomfort. The former player underwent two angioplasty procedures.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/csk-to-rcb-a-look-at-the-remaining-purse-of-all-ten-teams-ahead-of-ipl-2022-mega-auction-452459">CSK to RCB: A look at the remaining purse of all ten teams ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction</a>

IPL 2022 auction

For the unversed, Ganguly is in Bengaluru for the IPL 2022 auction that is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13.&nbsp;

During the two-day mega auction, a total of 590 cricketers are set to go under the hammer.

IPL informed that amongst 590 players who have registered for the auction, 228 are capped players, 355 are uncapped players and seven belong to Associate Nations.&nbsp;

A day before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction, reports were circulated that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has been admitted to the hospital for a cardiac check-up.

A day before the Indian Premier League (IPL) 2022 mega auction, reports were circulated that Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has been admitted to the hospital for a cardiac check-up. Dismissing the reports, the Narayana Health City in Bengaluru reports of former Indian cricketer being admitted are incorrect. In a statement, Dr Nitin Manjunath, Facility Director at the Narayana Health City, said that Ganguly was at the hospital to meet Dr Devi Prasad Shetty, who is the chairman and founder of Narayana Health. ALSO READ | 'Virat needs confidence?' Rohit Sharma reacts to questions over Kohli's continued lean patch The statement read, "We would like to clarify that the news of him (Ganguly) being admitted is incorrect. Mr. Sourav Ganguly was at the hospital to meet Dr. Devi Prasad Shetty, Chairman & Founder, Narayana Health on a brief, courtesy visit since he was in Bengaluru." The statement further added that Ganguly will be inaugurating a modern 100-bed Intensive care unit (ICU) on Monday (February 14). Previously, the 49-year-old Ganguly had undergone treatment for a heart condition earlier this year and he had twice been admitted to the hospital last year after complaining of chest discomfort. The former player underwent two angioplasty procedures. ALSO READ | CSK to RCB: A look at the remaining purse of all ten teams ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction IPL 2022 auction For the unversed, Ganguly is in Bengaluru for the IPL 2022 auction that is scheduled to be held on February 12 and 13. During the two-day mega auction, a total of 590 cricketers are set to go under the hammer. IPL informed that amongst 590 players who have registered for the auction, 228 are capped players, 355 are uncapped players and seven belong to Associate Nations.

Fact Check: Was Sourav Ganguly admitted to hospital in Bengaluru ahead of IPL 2022 mega auction?

Legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away at the age of 92 on Sunday (February 06). The veteran singer had been admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) on January 8 after testing positive for COVID-19. She had mild symptoms initially but her health continued to deteriorate and the 'Nightingale of India' breathed her last on&nbsp;Sunday.

The entire nation was left mourning after the news of her demise. Tributes have been pouring in from all corners for the legendary singer, who is regarded as one of the greatest playback singers of all time. Several members of the sports fraternity also consoled the demise of the&nbsp;Bharat Ratna recipient&nbsp;and paid rich tributes.

From cricket icon Virat Kohli to current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, the sporting fraternity poured in tributes for the legendary singer, who gave Indian cinema some of its most iconic songs over the years.

"Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Lata ji. Her melodious songs touched millions of people around the world. Thank you for all the music and the memories. My deepest condolences to the family &amp; the loved ones," wrote former India&nbsp;captain Kohli in a tweet.

"The Nightingale of India, a voice which has resonated with, brought joy and happiness to millions around the world leaves. Heartfelt Condolences to her family and fans. Om Shanti #LataMangeshkar," said former India opener Sehwag in a social media post.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/photos/lata-mangeshkar-turns-91-from-beginning-to-great-achievements-a-look-back-at-her-great-life-330843">Remembering Lata Mangeshkar: A look back at the music legend's incredible career</a>

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Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Lata ji. Her melodious songs touched millions of people around the world. Thank you for all the music and the memories. My deepest condolences to the family &amp; the loved ones.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1490184538152050689?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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The Nightingale of India ,a voice which has resonated with, brought joy and happiness to millions around the world leaves. Heartfelt Condolences to her family and fans. Om Shanti <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/LataMangeshkar?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#LataMangeshkar</a> <a href="https://t.co/O6gWb27x3s">pic.twitter.com/O6gWb27x3s</a>
— Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) <a href="https://twitter.com/virendersehwag/status/1490183506101637123?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Your music touched our soul and made us smile. Rest in Peace Lata Mangeshkar Ji. Your legacy will inspire generations to come. <a href="https://t.co/Z5xOcHNmjo">pic.twitter.com/Z5xOcHNmjo</a>
— Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) <a href="https://twitter.com/SDhawan25/status/1490184131149402113?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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India lost her Nightingale today. Prayers are with Lata didi's family as we mourn this difficult hour. Om Shanti
— Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) <a href="https://twitter.com/ajinkyarahane88/status/1490181434908168199?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 6, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Mangeshkar remained in ICU after recovering from COVID-19 and spent weeks battling for recovery. She passed away on Sunday after multiple organ failures. Apart from being the recipient of India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, she was also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

&nbsp;

Legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away at the age of 92 on Sunday (February 06). The veteran singer had been admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) on January 8 after testing positive for COVID-19.

Legendary Indian singer Lata Mangeshkar passed away at the age of 92 on Sunday (February 06). The veteran singer had been admitted to the Breach Candy Hospital's intensive care unit (ICU) on January 8 after testing positive for COVID-19. She had mild symptoms initially but her health continued to deteriorate and the 'Nightingale of India' breathed her last on Sunday. The entire nation was left mourning after the news of her demise. Tributes have been pouring in from all corners for the legendary singer, who is regarded as one of the greatest playback singers of all time. Several members of the sports fraternity also consoled the demise of the Bharat Ratna recipient and paid rich tributes. From cricket icon Virat Kohli to current BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, the sporting fraternity poured in tributes for the legendary singer, who gave Indian cinema some of its most iconic songs over the years. "Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Lata ji. Her melodious songs touched millions of people around the world. Thank you for all the music and the memories. My deepest condolences to the family & the loved ones," wrote former India captain Kohli in a tweet. "The Nightingale of India, a voice which has resonated with, brought joy and happiness to millions around the world leaves. Heartfelt Condolences to her family and fans. Om Shanti #LataMangeshkar," said former India opener Sehwag in a social media post. Also Read: Remembering Lata Mangeshkar: A look back at the music legend's incredible career Deeply saddened to hear about the demise of Lata ji. Her melodious songs touched millions of people around the world. Thank you for all the music and the memories. My deepest condolences to the family & the loved ones. — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) February 6, 2022 × The Nightingale of India ,a voice which has resonated with, brought joy and happiness to millions around the world leaves. Heartfelt Condolences to her family and fans. Om Shanti #LataMangeshkar pic.twitter.com/O6gWb27x3s — Virender Sehwag (@virendersehwag) February 6, 2022 × Your music touched our soul and made us smile. Rest in Peace Lata Mangeshkar Ji. Your legacy will inspire generations to come. pic.twitter.com/Z5xOcHNmjo — Shikhar Dhawan (@SDhawan25) February 6, 2022 × India lost her Nightingale today. Prayers are with Lata didi's family as we mourn this difficult hour. Om Shanti — Ajinkya Rahane (@ajinkyarahane88) February 6, 2022 × View this post on Instagram A post shared by SOURAV GANGULY (@souravganguly) × Mangeshkar remained in ICU after recovering from COVID-19 and spent weeks battling for recovery. She passed away on Sunday after multiple organ failures. Apart from being the recipient of India’s highest civilian honour, the Bharat Ratna, she was also honoured with the Padma Vibhushan, Padma Bhushan and the Dadasaheb Phalke Award.

Your legacy will inspire generations: Kohli, Sehwag & others condole demise of veteran singer Lata Mangeshkar

India to play 1000th ODI: From Kapil, Dhoni to Ganguly - Captains who led Men in Blue in historic ties

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has said the board is planning to launch a full-fledged women's Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2023. The BCCI currently hosts the men's version of the IPL which is one of the biggest T20 leagues in the world and will now consist of a total of ten teams from the 2022 season onwards.

The BCCI also organises the Women's T20 Challenge with three teams featuring in the tournament. The Women's T20 Challenge is not a full-fledged tournament and consists of a handful of matches between the three sides. It was not conducted by the BCCI last year despite the board hosting the IPL in two phases in India and the UAE.

With calls growing stronger over the start of a full-fledged women's IPL, BCCI president Ganguly has said the board is in the process of planning to start the tournament from 2023. Ganguly believes the women's IPL will be as big and grand a success as the men's IPL.

"We are at the level of formulation to have a full-fledged WIPL. It is certainly going to happen. I strongly believe that next year i.e. 2023 will be a very good time to start a full-fledged women's IPL which will be as big and grand a success as the men's IPL," Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI.

Cricket Australia organises the Women's Big Bash League along with the men's edition of the tournament while the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had organised the Women's Hundred competition along with the Men's Hundred edition last year. A number of Indian women's team stars were part of both the tournaments in Australia and England.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ive-played-424-internationals-sourav-ganguly-slams-accusations-of-him-interfering-in-selections-450455">I've played 424 internationals: Sourav Ganguly slams accusations of him interfering in selections</a>

The likes of Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and the other members of the Indian women's team have often spoken about the importance of having a women's IPL for the growth of the women's game in India. Ganguly said the board will also organise the Women's T20 Challenge this year which will be held during the IPL 2022 playoffs.

“The Women’s T20 Challenge will again be back this year in the month of May. Hopefully, in the future, we will be able to host a bigger women’s IPL once the number of women players goes up. But this year, the Women’s T20 Challenge will happen during the IPL playoffs,” said the BCCI president, as quoted by Sportstar.

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The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has said the board is planning to launch a full-fledged women's Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2023.

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) president Sourav Ganguly has said the board is planning to launch a full-fledged women's Indian Premier League (IPL) from 2023. The BCCI currently hosts the men's version of the IPL which is one of the biggest T20 leagues in the world and will now consist of a total of ten teams from the 2022 season onwards. The BCCI also organises the Women's T20 Challenge with three teams featuring in the tournament. The Women's T20 Challenge is not a full-fledged tournament and consists of a handful of matches between the three sides. It was not conducted by the BCCI last year despite the board hosting the IPL in two phases in India and the UAE. With calls growing stronger over the start of a full-fledged women's IPL, BCCI president Ganguly has said the board is in the process of planning to start the tournament from 2023. Ganguly believes the women's IPL will be as big and grand a success as the men's IPL. "We are at the level of formulation to have a full-fledged WIPL. It is certainly going to happen. I strongly believe that next year i.e. 2023 will be a very good time to start a full-fledged women's IPL which will be as big and grand a success as the men's IPL," Ganguly was quoted as saying by PTI. Cricket Australia organises the Women's Big Bash League along with the men's edition of the tournament while the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB) had organised the Women's Hundred competition along with the Men's Hundred edition last year. A number of Indian women's team stars were part of both the tournaments in Australia and England. Also Read: I've played 424 internationals: Sourav Ganguly slams accusations of him interfering in selections The likes of Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues and the other members of the Indian women's team have often spoken about the importance of having a women's IPL for the growth of the women's game in India. Ganguly said the board will also organise the Women's T20 Challenge this year which will be held during the IPL 2022 playoffs. “The Women’s T20 Challenge will again be back this year in the month of May. Hopefully, in the future, we will be able to host a bigger women’s IPL once the number of women players goes up. But this year, the Women’s T20 Challenge will happen during the IPL playoffs,” said the BCCI president, as quoted by Sportstar.

BCCI planning to start full-fledged women's IPL by 2023, confirms Sourav Ganguly

Sourav Ganguly was appointed as the BCCI President in late 2019, after India's ODI World Cup campaign. In September 2022, he will complete three years as the BCCI chief. Under his tenure, BCCI have had a lot to deal with.

With the Covid-19 pandemic leading to various obstacles for hosting the last two IPL seasons, the Virat Kohli captaincy saga, pressure building up&nbsp;to start Women's IPL, etc., the Ganguly-led board has had a lot on their plate. In recent times, the image of the board&nbsp;officials and selectors have also taken a toll following the Kohli captaincy saga. Moreover, many have accused the BCCI chief Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah of interfering in selection meetings.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/womens-ipl-should-be-top-priority-michael-vaughan-tells-bcci-chief-sourav-ganguly-450433">Women's IPL should be top priority: Michael Vaughan tells BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly</a>

In an interview with news agency&nbsp;PTI,&nbsp;Ganguly opened up on all such claims and said,&nbsp;"I don't think I need to answer anybody anything (on this) and dignify any of these baseless accusations. I am the president of BCCI and I do the job of what the president of BCCI should be doing."&nbsp;

"Also just to let you know, I see a picture doing the rounds (of social media) showing me sitting in a selection committee meeting. I want to make it clear, that picture (where Ganguly can be seen sitting with secretary Jay Shah, skipper Virat Kohli and joint secretary Jayesh George) wasn't from a selection committee meeting.&nbsp;Jayesh George isn't a part of selection committee meetings. (I have played) 424 international matches for India. Not a bad idea at times to remind people about it, isn't it? (laughs)," added Ganguly.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/upto-you-all-to-judge-my-legacy-sourav-ganguly-on-his-tenure-as-bcci-president-450365">'Upto you all to judge my legacy' - Sourav Ganguly on his tenure as BCCI President</a>

In addition, Ganguly dwelled on the&nbsp;fantastic relationship with Secretary Jay Shah as well as the other office bearers of the BCCI. "I share a fantastic relationship with Jay. He is a very dear friend and a trusted colleague. Me, Jay, Arun (Dhumal) and Jayesh (George), we have all been working together to get the board going in these difficult times especially with COVID-19 in these two years. To make sure that cricket happens. I would say it has been a fantastic two years. We have all done it as a team," further asserted the&nbsp;BCCI chief.&nbsp;

Sourav Ganguly was appointed as the BCCI President in late 2019, after India's ODI World Cup campaign. In September 2022, he will complete three years as the BCCI chief.

Sourav Ganguly was appointed as the BCCI President in late 2019, after India's ODI World Cup campaign. In September 2022, he will complete three years as the BCCI chief. Under his tenure, BCCI have had a lot to deal with. With the Covid-19 pandemic leading to various obstacles for hosting the last two IPL seasons, the Virat Kohli captaincy saga, pressure building up to start Women's IPL, etc., the Ganguly-led board has had a lot on their plate. In recent times, the image of the board officials and selectors have also taken a toll following the Kohli captaincy saga. Moreover, many have accused the BCCI chief Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah of interfering in selection meetings. ALSO READ | Women's IPL should be top priority: Michael Vaughan tells BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly In an interview with news agency PTI, Ganguly opened up on all such claims and said, "I don't think I need to answer anybody anything (on this) and dignify any of these baseless accusations. I am the president of BCCI and I do the job of what the president of BCCI should be doing." "Also just to let you know, I see a picture doing the rounds (of social media) showing me sitting in a selection committee meeting. I want to make it clear, that picture (where Ganguly can be seen sitting with secretary Jay Shah, skipper Virat Kohli and joint secretary Jayesh George) wasn't from a selection committee meeting. Jayesh George isn't a part of selection committee meetings. (I have played) 424 international matches for India. Not a bad idea at times to remind people about it, isn't it? (laughs)," added Ganguly. ALSO READ | 'Upto you all to judge my legacy' - Sourav Ganguly on his tenure as BCCI President In addition, Ganguly dwelled on the fantastic relationship with Secretary Jay Shah as well as the other office bearers of the BCCI. "I share a fantastic relationship with Jay. He is a very dear friend and a trusted colleague. Me, Jay, Arun (Dhumal) and Jayesh (George), we have all been working together to get the board going in these difficult times especially with COVID-19 in these two years. To make sure that cricket happens. I would say it has been a fantastic two years. We have all done it as a team," further asserted the BCCI chief.

I've played 424 internationals: Sourav Ganguly slams accusations of him interfering in selections

The Indian Premier League (IPL)'s birth has been a gamechanger for cricket. In 2008, the IPL kicked off which led to the start of various T20 leagues across the globe. The likes of Australia, England, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, etc. have started their own respective leagues in the shortest format.

Moreover, the likes of Australia and England have gone a step ahead in also running women's T20 leagues simultaneously, in the form of Women's Big Bash League (BBL), The Hundred, respectively. Such leagues have also gained eyeballs and led to the overall popularity of women's cricket worldwide.&nbsp;

On the other hand, the&nbsp;BCCI have managed to consolidate IPL's growth over the years and also start the Women's T20 Challenge. However, the women's version remains limited to only a few games.&nbsp; Amid the growing pressure on the Indian cricket board to start a full-fledged Women's IPL, former England captain Michael Vaughan has joined the bandwagon&nbsp;and urged BCCI President Sourav Ganguly to make the Women's IPL top priority.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/upto-you-all-to-judge-my-legacy-sourav-ganguly-on-his-tenure-as-bcci-president-450365">'Upto you all to judge my legacy' - Sourav Ganguly on his tenure as BCCI President</a>

Taking to his official Twitter handle, Vaughan wrote, "A Women's #IPL should be top priority now @SGanguly99&nbsp;!! Let’s get it sorted .."

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A Womens <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/IPL?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#IPL</a> should be top priority now <a href="https://twitter.com/SGanguly99?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@SGanguly99</a> !! Let’s get it sorted .. 👍👍
— Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) <a href="https://twitter.com/MichaelVaughan/status/1489280382998622217?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 3, 2022</a></blockquote>
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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-chief-sourav-ganguly-confirms-indias-pink-ball-test-vs-sri-lanka-to-be-held-in-bengaluru-450123">BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly confirms India's pink-ball Test vs Sri Lanka to be held in Bengaluru</a>

India have quite a few popular women's cricketers, such as&nbsp;Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jhulan Goswami, etc. Harman, Smriti, Jemimah have also been a part of WBBL, The Hundred and made heads turn with their performances and overall presence. Thus, BCCI have&nbsp; a good base ready and a platform to cash in and make a sizeable T20 league focusing on women's cricket.

Recently, Ganguly spilled the beans on BCCI's plan regarding Women's IPL.&nbsp;"Hopefully, in the future, we will be able to host a bigger women’s IPL once the number of women players [player pool] goes up. But this year, the Women’s T20 Challenge will happen during the IPL playoffs,” said Ganguly while talking to&nbsp;Sportstar.&nbsp;

The Indian Premier League (IPL)'s birth has been a gamechanger for cricket. In 2008, the IPL kicked off which led to the start of various T20 leagues across the globe.

The Indian Premier League (IPL)'s birth has been a gamechanger for cricket. In 2008, the IPL kicked off which led to the start of various T20 leagues across the globe. The likes of Australia, England, Pakistan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, etc. have started their own respective leagues in the shortest format. Moreover, the likes of Australia and England have gone a step ahead in also running women's T20 leagues simultaneously, in the form of Women's Big Bash League (BBL), The Hundred, respectively. Such leagues have also gained eyeballs and led to the overall popularity of women's cricket worldwide. On the other hand, the BCCI have managed to consolidate IPL's growth over the years and also start the Women's T20 Challenge. However, the women's version remains limited to only a few games. Amid the growing pressure on the Indian cricket board to start a full-fledged Women's IPL, former England captain Michael Vaughan has joined the bandwagon and urged BCCI President Sourav Ganguly to make the Women's IPL top priority. ALSO READ | 'Upto you all to judge my legacy' - Sourav Ganguly on his tenure as BCCI President Taking to his official Twitter handle, Vaughan wrote, "A Women's #IPL should be top priority now @SGanguly99 !! Let’s get it sorted .." A Womens #IPL should be top priority now @SGanguly99 !! Let’s get it sorted .. 👍👍 — Michael Vaughan (@MichaelVaughan) February 3, 2022 × ALSO READ | BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly confirms India's pink-ball Test vs Sri Lanka to be held in Bengaluru India have quite a few popular women's cricketers, such as Mithali Raj, Harmanpreet Kaur, Smriti Mandhana, Jemimah Rodrigues, Jhulan Goswami, etc. Harman, Smriti, Jemimah have also been a part of WBBL, The Hundred and made heads turn with their performances and overall presence. Thus, BCCI have a good base ready and a platform to cash in and make a sizeable T20 league focusing on women's cricket. Recently, Ganguly spilled the beans on BCCI's plan regarding Women's IPL. "Hopefully, in the future, we will be able to host a bigger women’s IPL once the number of women players [player pool] goes up. But this year, the Women’s T20 Challenge will happen during the IPL playoffs,” said Ganguly while talking to Sportstar.

Women's IPL should be top priority: Michael Vaughan tells BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly

On January 15, Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his resignation as Team India's Test captain. This came as a huge shock to the entire cricketing fraternity. Kohli's decision came a day after India lost the three-match Test series versus Dean Elgar-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation.

The 33-year-old tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now."

Under Kohli, India became a more confident and aggressive force in home Tests and started winning more regularly in away series as well. During his tenure as the Test captain, India won their maiden Test series in Australia, earned an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the incomplete five Tests in the United Kingdom in mid-2021, played the inaugural WTC final and ended as the No. 1 ranked side in the format for five successive years in the annual updates of the ICC Rankings. Following his resignation, all-rounder Shardul Thakur has now opened up on Kohli's decision.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/upto-you-all-to-judge-my-legacy-sourav-ganguly-on-his-tenure-as-bcci-president-450365">&nbsp;'Upto you all to judge my legacy' - Sourav Ganguly on his tenure as BCCI President</a>

“It was an emotional moment for everyone. No one expected that he would resign from Test captaincy," Thakur told Indian Express in a chat.&nbsp;

“We did well under his captaincy, especially overseas. Those series we lost overseas were close ones. The team was doing well under him and no one expected this. However, now that he has made his decision, everyone should respect it,” he added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/didnt-know-anyone-in-bcci-harbhajan-singh-opines-on-not-being-considered-for-india-captaincy-450232">Didn't know anyone in BCCI: Harbhajan Singh opines on not being considered for India captaincy</a>

After Kohli's sudden resignation as the Test captain, the BCCI selectors have a tough job to name his successor. The contenders are Rohit Sharma (already the Test vice-captain and limited-overs skipper), KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. The selectors will have to take a call and finalise the next captain before India's upcoming two-match Test series versus Sri Lanka, at home, in February-March.&nbsp;

On January 15, Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his resignation as Team India's Test captain. This came as a huge shock to the entire cricketing fraternity.

On January 15, Virat Kohli dropped a bomb by announcing his resignation as Team India's Test captain. This came as a huge shock to the entire cricketing fraternity. Kohli's decision came a day after India lost the three-match Test series versus Dean Elgar-led South Africa, in the rainbow nation. The 33-year-old tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now." Under Kohli, India became a more confident and aggressive force in home Tests and started winning more regularly in away series as well. During his tenure as the Test captain, India won their maiden Test series in Australia, earned an unassailable 2-1 lead over England in the incomplete five Tests in the United Kingdom in mid-2021, played the inaugural WTC final and ended as the No. 1 ranked side in the format for five successive years in the annual updates of the ICC Rankings. Following his resignation, all-rounder Shardul Thakur has now opened up on Kohli's decision. ALSO READ | 'Upto you all to judge my legacy' - Sourav Ganguly on his tenure as BCCI President “It was an emotional moment for everyone. No one expected that he would resign from Test captaincy," Thakur told Indian Express in a chat. “We did well under his captaincy, especially overseas. Those series we lost overseas were close ones. The team was doing well under him and no one expected this. However, now that he has made his decision, everyone should respect it,” he added. ALSO READ | Didn't know anyone in BCCI: Harbhajan Singh opines on not being considered for India captaincy After Kohli's sudden resignation as the Test captain, the BCCI selectors have a tough job to name his successor. The contenders are Rohit Sharma (already the Test vice-captain and limited-overs skipper), KL Rahul, Jasprit Bumrah and Rishabh Pant. The selectors will have to take a call and finalise the next captain before India's upcoming two-match Test series versus Sri Lanka, at home, in February-March.

No one expected Virat Kohli to resign as India's Test captain, reveals all-rounder Shardul Thakur

Harbhajan Singh dropped a bomb by announcing his international retirement before the end of 2021. Bhajji represented Team India for 18 years, with his career spanning from 1998-2016 (when he last represented India). The veteran spinner made a big name in world cricket, ending with 711 wickets at the highest level.

During his glorious run for Team India, the 41-year-old played under various captains. He started under Mohammad Azharuddin and was led by the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli (along with also being captained by Virender Sehwag and Anil Kumble for a brief period). In the IPL, Bhajji played under Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Eoin Morgan, Dhoni whereas he himself captained the Mumbai Indians (MI) -- where he played for 10 years -- and led them to the 2011 Champions League title.

Despite him being in the leadership group for Team India and the Mumbai-based IPL franchise, he was never considered for captaining India. Before the 2007 T20 World Cup, he was being considered as one of the contenders for leading the Men in Blue in the showpiece event before Dhoni got the top post. &nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/if-i-was-scared-of-short-balls-i-wouldnt-have-scored-fifty-in-lords-test-vs-england-md-shami-slams-critics-450217">If I was scared of short balls, I wouldn’t have scored fifty in Lord's Test vs England: Md Shami slams critics</a>

As per the former India spinner, those who aren't favourites don't get the captaincy honour. "Oh yes! That is also an achievement that no one talks about - my captaincy. I didn’t know anyone in the BCCI; someone who could push my case because it is required (for national captaincy). If you are not among the favourites of someone (powerful), you don’t get such honours. But, let’s leave that topic. I know I was capable enough (to lead) as we used to guide a lot of captains. No big deal if I was an India captain or not. No regrets either if I didn’t become the captain for my country. I was always happy to serve the nation as a player," he told Cricketnext.com.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-am-not-married-to-him-harbhajan-singh-gives-cheeky-response-clears-air-on-rumoured-rift-with-ms-dhoni-449222">'I am not married to him': Harbhajan Singh gives cheeky response, clears air on rumoured rift with MS Dhoni</a>

Harbhajan's last international appearance came during the 2016 Asia Cup. He was part of India's victorious run in the 2007 T20 WC, 2011 ODI World Cup, Asia Cup win in 2010 and many other significant wins across the globe. He signed off being the fourth-highest Test wicket-taker in the purest format (417 scalps).&nbsp;

Harbhajan Singh dropped a bomb by announcing his international retirement before the end of 2021. Bhajji represented Team India for 18 years, with his career spanning from 1998-2016 (when he last represented India).

Harbhajan Singh dropped a bomb by announcing his international retirement before the end of 2021. Bhajji represented Team India for 18 years, with his career spanning from 1998-2016 (when he last represented India). The veteran spinner made a big name in world cricket, ending with 711 wickets at the highest level. During his glorious run for Team India, the 41-year-old played under various captains. He started under Mohammad Azharuddin and was led by the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli (along with also being captained by Virender Sehwag and Anil Kumble for a brief period). In the IPL, Bhajji played under Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Eoin Morgan, Dhoni whereas he himself captained the Mumbai Indians (MI) -- where he played for 10 years -- and led them to the 2011 Champions League title. Despite him being in the leadership group for Team India and the Mumbai-based IPL franchise, he was never considered for captaining India. Before the 2007 T20 World Cup, he was being considered as one of the contenders for leading the Men in Blue in the showpiece event before Dhoni got the top post. ALSO READ | If I was scared of short balls, I wouldn’t have scored fifty in Lord's Test vs England: Md Shami slams critics As per the former India spinner, those who aren't favourites don't get the captaincy honour. "Oh yes! That is also an achievement that no one talks about - my captaincy. I didn’t know anyone in the BCCI; someone who could push my case because it is required (for national captaincy). If you are not among the favourites of someone (powerful), you don’t get such honours. But, let’s leave that topic. I know I was capable enough (to lead) as we used to guide a lot of captains. No big deal if I was an India captain or not. No regrets either if I didn’t become the captain for my country. I was always happy to serve the nation as a player," he told Cricketnext.com. ALSO READ | 'I am not married to him': Harbhajan Singh gives cheeky response, clears air on rumoured rift with MS Dhoni Harbhajan's last international appearance came during the 2016 Asia Cup. He was part of India's victorious run in the 2007 T20 WC, 2011 ODI World Cup, Asia Cup win in 2010 and many other significant wins across the globe. He signed off being the fourth-highest Test wicket-taker in the purest format (417 scalps).

Didn't know anyone in BCCI: Harbhajan Singh opines on not being considered for India captaincy

The mega auction for the IPL 2022 edition is just a few days away. All eyes are on the ten teams and how they will form their respective sides heading into the 15th edition. While the auction strategies are being laid down by all the ten teams, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that the IPL 2022 season will take place in India itself.

Ahead of the mega auction, to be held in Bengaluru in mid-February, BCCI President Ganguly has stated that Maharastra will be conducting the league stage of the 15th edition whereas no final call has been made regarding the playoffs' venues.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/rcb-has-kept-whopping-amount-aside-for-shreyas-iyer-in-ipl-2022-mega-auction-reveals-aakash-chopra-449807">RCB has kept whopping amount aside for Shreyas Iyer in IPL 2022 mega auction, reveals Aakash Chopra</a>

"It will be held in India this year, until and unless COVID-19 hits the roof. As far as venues are concerned, we are looking at hosting the matches in Maharashtra – Mumbai, and Pune. We will take a call on the venues for the knockout stages later," Ganguly has told Sportstar.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/kohli-opens-up-on-delhi-franchises-decision-to-choose-pradeep-sangwan-over-him-in-maiden-ipl-auction-449482">Kohli opens up on Delhi franchise's decision to choose Pradeep Sangwan over him in maiden IPL auction</a>

In the last two years, i.e. the Covid-era, BCCI have had their fair share of struggles in hosting the cash-rich league smoothly. After more a five-month delay, the IPL 2020 edition took place in the UAE amid the bio-bubble restrictions. While the IPL 2021 season started in India, only the first half of the marquee event (i.e. 29 games) was held in the country before the second wave of the Covid-19 virus led to its indefinite postponement. Finally, the season was completed with the remainder of the games being held in the Middle East.&nbsp;BCCI will, thus, have their task cut-out to host the 15th season smoothly, without any fuss.

At present, Covid crisis has hit Team India ahead of their white-ball series, at home, versus West Indies. The ODIs get underway on February 6.

The mega auction for the IPL 2022 edition is just a few days away. All eyes are on the ten teams and how they will form their respective sides heading into the 15th edition.

The mega auction for the IPL 2022 edition is just a few days away. All eyes are on the ten teams and how they will form their respective sides heading into the 15th edition. While the auction strategies are being laid down by all the ten teams, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has confirmed that the IPL 2022 season will take place in India itself. Ahead of the mega auction, to be held in Bengaluru in mid-February, BCCI President Ganguly has stated that Maharastra will be conducting the league stage of the 15th edition whereas no final call has been made regarding the playoffs' venues. ALSO READ | RCB has kept whopping amount aside for Shreyas Iyer in IPL 2022 mega auction, reveals Aakash Chopra "It will be held in India this year, until and unless COVID-19 hits the roof. As far as venues are concerned, we are looking at hosting the matches in Maharashtra – Mumbai, and Pune. We will take a call on the venues for the knockout stages later," Ganguly has told Sportstar. ALSO READ | Kohli opens up on Delhi franchise's decision to choose Pradeep Sangwan over him in maiden IPL auction In the last two years, i.e. the Covid-era, BCCI have had their fair share of struggles in hosting the cash-rich league smoothly. After more a five-month delay, the IPL 2020 edition took place in the UAE amid the bio-bubble restrictions. While the IPL 2021 season started in India, only the first half of the marquee event (i.e. 29 games) was held in the country before the second wave of the Covid-19 virus led to its indefinite postponement. Finally, the season was completed with the remainder of the games being held in the Middle East. BCCI will, thus, have their task cut-out to host the 15th season smoothly, without any fuss. At present, Covid crisis has hit Team India ahead of their white-ball series, at home, versus West Indies. The ODIs get underway on February 6.

IPL 2022: Maharashtra to host league stage, call on playoffs' venues not taken, says Sourav Ganguly

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has revealed that Bengaluru is set to host the upcoming pink-ball Test between India and Sri Lanka. Currently, the Indian team is gearing up for their white-ball series versus West Indies, at home, before Sri Lanka will turn up in India&nbsp;for two Tests and three T20Is.

Thus, Ganguly confirmed that Bengaluru will host the day-night Test between India and Sri Lanka, however, the rest of the venus haven't been finalised yet.&nbsp;“Yes, the pink-ball Test will be happening in Bengaluru. We have not decided on all the venues for the Sri Lanka series yet, but it will be announced shortly,” Ganguly told Sportstar.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hopefully-theyll-go-back-sourav-ganguly-opines-on-under-fire-duo-cheteshwar-pujara-ajinkya-rahane-450083">'Hopefully, they'll go back...' - Sourav Ganguly opines on under-fire duo Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane</a>

For the unversed, Sri Lanka will travel to India for three T20Is and two Tests. Earlier, the two-match Test series was set to be held before the T20Is but BCCI have reportedly accepted Sri Lanka Cricket Board's (SLC) request to tweak the itinerary a bit to ensure a smooth bubble to bubble transfer. Further, Sri Lanka will come to India following a five-match T20I series versus Australia, Down Under, whereas Rohit Sharma &amp; Co. will end their WI series with the shortest format, hence, the same format will kickoff the Islanders' tour before the action moves to the two Tests.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-maharashtra-to-host-league-stage-call-on-playoffs-venues-not-taken-says-sourav-ganguly-450052">IPL 2022: Maharashtra to host league stage, call on playoffs' venues not taken, says Sourav Ganguly</a>

Dharamshala is likely to host the first two India-SL T20Is before the series finale and the Test series opener will take place in Mohali. Bengaluru will, thus, host the tour finale; i.e. a day-night Test between the two Asian sides.

This means Virat Kohli will miss out on playing his 100th Test in Bengaluru, where he enjoys a massive fanbase for representing the city's IPL side since 2008. The former captain is one shy of playing his 100th Test and will most likely see it happen in Mohali (unless injury or other reasons force his unavailability).

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has revealed that Bengaluru is set to host the upcoming pink-ball Test between India and Sri Lanka. Currently, the Indian team is gearing up for their white-ball series versus West Indies, at home, before Sri Lanka will turn up in India for two Tests and three T20Is.

BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has revealed that Bengaluru is set to host the upcoming pink-ball Test between India and Sri Lanka. Currently, the Indian team is gearing up for their white-ball series versus West Indies, at home, before Sri Lanka will turn up in India for two Tests and three T20Is. Thus, Ganguly confirmed that Bengaluru will host the day-night Test between India and Sri Lanka, however, the rest of the venus haven't been finalised yet. “Yes, the pink-ball Test will be happening in Bengaluru. We have not decided on all the venues for the Sri Lanka series yet, but it will be announced shortly,” Ganguly told Sportstar. ALSO READ | 'Hopefully, they'll go back...' - Sourav Ganguly opines on under-fire duo Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane For the unversed, Sri Lanka will travel to India for three T20Is and two Tests. Earlier, the two-match Test series was set to be held before the T20Is but BCCI have reportedly accepted Sri Lanka Cricket Board's (SLC) request to tweak the itinerary a bit to ensure a smooth bubble to bubble transfer. Further, Sri Lanka will come to India following a five-match T20I series versus Australia, Down Under, whereas Rohit Sharma & Co. will end their WI series with the shortest format, hence, the same format will kickoff the Islanders' tour before the action moves to the two Tests. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Maharashtra to host league stage, call on playoffs' venues not taken, says Sourav Ganguly Dharamshala is likely to host the first two India-SL T20Is before the series finale and the Test series opener will take place in Mohali. Bengaluru will, thus, host the tour finale; i.e. a day-night Test between the two Asian sides. This means Virat Kohli will miss out on playing his 100th Test in Bengaluru, where he enjoys a massive fanbase for representing the city's IPL side since 2008. The former captain is one shy of playing his 100th Test and will most likely see it happen in Mohali (unless injury or other reasons force his unavailability).

BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly confirms India's pink-ball Test vs Sri Lanka to be held in Bengaluru

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are having a tough ride in international cricket for quite sometime. Before the South Africa Tests, in the rainbow nation early this year, Rahane-Pujara were already under the scanner for their dismal runs in the longest format of the game.

For Rahane, the senior pro had not scored a hundred since his flawless 112-run knock in the India-Australia MCG Test in late 2020. On the other hand, Pujara's century drought continues since early 2019. While Pujara has remained a vital cog with some half-centuries at regular intervals, much more is expected of him. Meanwhile, Rahane also lost his vice-captaincy position in whites owing to his dismal run with the bat.

The two senior batters had a chance to revamp in the India-SA Tests, however, both didn't have a great run in the three-match series. Both returned with a half-century each in six outings. For the unversed, Rahane returned with&nbsp;136 runs at 22.66 in the SA Tests whereas the No. 3 batter Pujara ended with&nbsp;124 runs at 20.66. Thus,&nbsp;calls for their omissions have intensified.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ipl-2022-maharashtra-to-host-league-stage-call-on-playoffs-venues-not-taken-says-sourav-ganguly-450052">IPL 2022: Maharashtra to host league stage, call on playoffs' venues not taken, says Sourav Ganguly</a>

In this regard, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has shared some advice for the under-fire pair. He told Sportstar,&nbsp;"Yeah, they are very good players. Hopefully, they will go back to Ranji Trophy and score a lot of runs, which I am sure they will. I don’t see any problem [for them to go back to domestic cricket after playing so much international cricket]. Ranji Trophy is a huge tournament, and we have all played the tournament."

"So, they, too, will go back there and perform. They have played the tournament in the past when they were only playing Test cricket and were not part of the ODI or limited-overs team. So, that won’t be a problem," he added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-opens-up-on-cheteshwar-pujara-ajinkya-rahanes-future-after-flop-show-in-sa-test-series-444795">Virat Kohli opens up on Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane's future after flop show in SA Test series</a>

India's next Test assignment will be a two-match series versus Dimuth Karunaratne-led Sri Lanka, at home, in February-March. It will be interesting to see if Rahane and Pujara hold onto their respective spots -- despite intense competition with the presence of Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, etc. -- or not.&nbsp;

The BCCI selectors will also have to name Virat Kohli's successor in Tests after he resigned as the red-ball captain following the SA Tests.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are having a tough ride in international cricket for quite sometime. Before the South Africa Tests, in the rainbow nation early this year, Rahane-Pujara were already under the scanner for their dismal runs in the longest format of the game.

Cheteshwar Pujara and Ajinkya Rahane are having a tough ride in international cricket for quite sometime. Before the South Africa Tests, in the rainbow nation early this year, Rahane-Pujara were already under the scanner for their dismal runs in the longest format of the game. For Rahane, the senior pro had not scored a hundred since his flawless 112-run knock in the India-Australia MCG Test in late 2020. On the other hand, Pujara's century drought continues since early 2019. While Pujara has remained a vital cog with some half-centuries at regular intervals, much more is expected of him. Meanwhile, Rahane also lost his vice-captaincy position in whites owing to his dismal run with the bat. The two senior batters had a chance to revamp in the India-SA Tests, however, both didn't have a great run in the three-match series. Both returned with a half-century each in six outings. For the unversed, Rahane returned with 136 runs at 22.66 in the SA Tests whereas the No. 3 batter Pujara ended with 124 runs at 20.66. Thus, calls for their omissions have intensified. ALSO READ | IPL 2022: Maharashtra to host league stage, call on playoffs' venues not taken, says Sourav Ganguly In this regard, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly has shared some advice for the under-fire pair. He told Sportstar, "Yeah, they are very good players. Hopefully, they will go back to Ranji Trophy and score a lot of runs, which I am sure they will. I don’t see any problem [for them to go back to domestic cricket after playing so much international cricket]. Ranji Trophy is a huge tournament, and we have all played the tournament." "So, they, too, will go back there and perform. They have played the tournament in the past when they were only playing Test cricket and were not part of the ODI or limited-overs team. So, that won’t be a problem," he added. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli opens up on Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane's future after flop show in SA Test series India's next Test assignment will be a two-match series versus Dimuth Karunaratne-led Sri Lanka, at home, in February-March. It will be interesting to see if Rahane and Pujara hold onto their respective spots -- despite intense competition with the presence of Shreyas Iyer, Hanuma Vihari, etc. -- or not. The BCCI selectors will also have to name Virat Kohli's successor in Tests after he resigned as the red-ball captain following the SA Tests.

'Hopefully, they'll go back...' -  Sourav Ganguly opines on under-fire duo Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane

Virat Kohli vs BCCI row has hogged the headlines for over a month now. After Kohli resigned as the T20I captain, following the T20 World Cup last year, he was sacked as the ODI skipper before he himself gave up Test captaincy, early this year.

During all this, Kohli's relations with the BCCI has downhill. With him contradicting&nbsp;BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly's claims on his T20I captaincy resignation, Kohli's explosive presser in early December 2021 exposed the gap between him and the top board officials. Now, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has reacted to the whole controversy.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/remember-ms-dhoni-saying-very-clearly-dinesh-karthik-reacts-to-virat-kohlis-captaincy-saga-449603">'Remember MS Dhoni saying very clearly...' Dinesh Karthik reacts to Virat Kohli's captaincy saga</a>

Gambhir, who doesn't mince his words, told Times Now, "I think this could've been sorted behind closed doors as well. It was an internal battle. It was a great TRP for a lot of new channels but that's fine. If you go to the depth of it, the matter can easily be solved. It's not that big of an issue."

"Honestly, I don't see any controversy which was created. Talking about captaincy, I think Virat should have continued as red-ball captain. But for white-ball captaincy, once he decided to let go of T20I captaincy, he had to let go of ODI captaincy as well. The BCCI and the selectors were right from the white-ball point of view. But it was Virat's personal decision to step down from Test captaincy, which he should have continued," he further added.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/when-ms-dhoni-was-in-the-team-it-was-not-like-virat-kohli-on-giving-up-team-india-captaincy-449252">'When MS Dhoni was in the team, it was not like.....': Virat Kohli on giving up Team India captaincy</a>

Recently, Kohli had also opened up on his decision to give up Team India captaincy altogether by resigning as the Test skipper. He cited MS Dhoni's example&nbsp;and said on an episode of 'Fireside Chat with VK', "See, I think firstly you need to have a complete understanding of what you set out to achieve and whether you have achieved those targets or not. Everything has a tenure and time period, so you have to be aware of it. As a batter, you might be able to give more to the team, so take pride in that."&nbsp;

He further opined, "You do not need to be a captain to be the leader. When MS Dhoni was in the team, it was not like he was not the leader, he was still the guy from whom we wanted to have input. To win or not win is not in your hands, the striving for excellence and to be better every day, is not something you can do short term. When it comes to a culture, it will last beyond your playing years and your responsibility."

Virat Kohli vs BCCI row has hogged the headlines for over a month now. After Kohli resigned as the T20I captain, following the T20 World Cup last year, he was sacked as the ODI skipper before he himself gave up Test captaincy, early this year.

Virat Kohli vs BCCI row has hogged the headlines for over a month now. After Kohli resigned as the T20I captain, following the T20 World Cup last year, he was sacked as the ODI skipper before he himself gave up Test captaincy, early this year. During all this, Kohli's relations with the BCCI has downhill. With him contradicting BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly's claims on his T20I captaincy resignation, Kohli's explosive presser in early December 2021 exposed the gap between him and the top board officials. Now, former Indian opener Gautam Gambhir has reacted to the whole controversy. ALSO READ | 'Remember MS Dhoni saying very clearly...' Dinesh Karthik reacts to Virat Kohli's captaincy saga Gambhir, who doesn't mince his words, told Times Now, "I think this could've been sorted behind closed doors as well. It was an internal battle. It was a great TRP for a lot of new channels but that's fine. If you go to the depth of it, the matter can easily be solved. It's not that big of an issue." "Honestly, I don't see any controversy which was created. Talking about captaincy, I think Virat should have continued as red-ball captain. But for white-ball captaincy, once he decided to let go of T20I captaincy, he had to let go of ODI captaincy as well. The BCCI and the selectors were right from the white-ball point of view. But it was Virat's personal decision to step down from Test captaincy, which he should have continued," he further added. ALSO READ | 'When MS Dhoni was in the team, it was not like.....': Virat Kohli on giving up Team India captaincy Recently, Kohli had also opened up on his decision to give up Team India captaincy altogether by resigning as the Test skipper. He cited MS Dhoni's example and said on an episode of 'Fireside Chat with VK', "See, I think firstly you need to have a complete understanding of what you set out to achieve and whether you have achieved those targets or not. Everything has a tenure and time period, so you have to be aware of it. As a batter, you might be able to give more to the team, so take pride in that." He further opined, "You do not need to be a captain to be the leader. When MS Dhoni was in the team, it was not like he was not the leader, he was still the guy from whom we wanted to have input. To win or not win is not in your hands, the striving for excellence and to be better every day, is not something you can do short term. When it comes to a culture, it will last beyond your playing years and your responsibility."

It was an internal battle: Gautam Gambhir doesn't mince his words on Virat Kohli vs BCCI row

Australian great Ian Chappell lauded Virat Kohli for his remarkable leadership qualities after his decision to step down as the Test captain of the Indian team earlier this month. Kohli decided o quit as India's Test captain post the team's 2-1 loss against South Africa away from home.

Comparing Kohli and Root as captains, Chappell pointed out how one has been excellent at his job while the other has been a failure. Root-led England were recently hammered by Australia in the Ashes 2021-22. England failed to win even one game in the five-match series as they lost 4-0 against the hosts.

Root has since been facing intense criticism from all corners and questions have been raised on his leadership. Pointing out the contrasts in the captaincy styles of Root and Kohli, Chappell credited the former Indian captain for leading the team to tremendous success overseas and carrying forward the legacy of both MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly.

"This is a tale of two cricket captains; one very good at his job and the other a failure," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPN Cricinfo.

"There's no doubt Kohli was an exception as captain; he didn't curb his enthusiasm but he was still able to lead the Indian team to a higher level. With the capable assistance of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, he lifted India to overseas success as no other captain had done.

"Kohli took the legacy of Sourav Ganguly and Dhoni and substantially built on it in seven years at the helm. His biggest disappointment as captain was the recent series loss to South Africa after India led the away series 1-0, though he didn't captain in the middle Test of that series, in Cape Town," added the former Australia captain.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-not-among-indias-greatest-captains-you-live-in-an-era-where-hype-is-more-sanjay-manjrekar-448761">&nbsp;Virat Kohli not among India's greatest captains, you live in an era where hype is more: Sanjay Manjrekar</a>&nbsp;

<h2>Joe Root a captaincy failure: Ian Chappell&nbsp;</h2>

Chappell came down hard on Root for his poor captaincy in the recently-cocnluded Ashes where England were thoroughly outplayed by the Aussies. The former Australia captain said Root might be a great batter but he has been a failure as a captain.&nbsp;

"The captaincy failure, despite having led his country more times than any other captain, is Joe Root. It doesn't matter what Root or any other English devotee tells you, Root is a fine batter but a poor captain," wrote Chappell.

While Kohi signed off as the most successful captain for India in Tests with an impressive 40 wins in 68 matches, Root has so far led England in 61 Tests and has managed only 27 wins while losing 25 matches.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Australian great Ian Chappell lauded Virat Kohli for his remarkable leadership qualities after his decision to step down as the Test captain of the Indian team earlier this month.

Australian great Ian Chappell lauded Virat Kohli for his remarkable leadership qualities after his decision to step down as the Test captain of the Indian team earlier this month. Kohli decided o quit as India's Test captain post the team's 2-1 loss against South Africa away from home. Comparing Kohli and Root as captains, Chappell pointed out how one has been excellent at his job while the other has been a failure. Root-led England were recently hammered by Australia in the Ashes 2021-22. England failed to win even one game in the five-match series as they lost 4-0 against the hosts. Root has since been facing intense criticism from all corners and questions have been raised on his leadership. Pointing out the contrasts in the captaincy styles of Root and Kohli, Chappell credited the former Indian captain for leading the team to tremendous success overseas and carrying forward the legacy of both MS Dhoni and Sourav Ganguly. "This is a tale of two cricket captains; one very good at his job and the other a failure," Chappell wrote in his column for ESPN Cricinfo. "There's no doubt Kohli was an exception as captain; he didn't curb his enthusiasm but he was still able to lead the Indian team to a higher level. With the capable assistance of vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, he lifted India to overseas success as no other captain had done. "Kohli took the legacy of Sourav Ganguly and Dhoni and substantially built on it in seven years at the helm. His biggest disappointment as captain was the recent series loss to South Africa after India led the away series 1-0, though he didn't captain in the middle Test of that series, in Cape Town," added the former Australia captain. Also Read: Virat Kohli not among India's greatest captains, you live in an era where hype is more: Sanjay Manjrekar Joe Root a captaincy failure: Ian Chappell Chappell came down hard on Root for his poor captaincy in the recently-cocnluded Ashes where England were thoroughly outplayed by the Aussies. The former Australia captain said Root might be a great batter but he has been a failure as a captain. "The captaincy failure, despite having led his country more times than any other captain, is Joe Root. It doesn't matter what Root or any other English devotee tells you, Root is a fine batter but a poor captain," wrote Chappell. While Kohi signed off as the most successful captain for India in Tests with an impressive 40 wins in 68 matches, Root has so far led England in 61 Tests and has managed only 27 wins while losing 25 matches.

Virat Kohli took the legacy of Ganguly, Dhoni forward, and substantially built on it: Ian Chappell

Indian cricket has undergone significant changes since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021 last year. While Ravi Shastri was replaced by Rahul Dravid as the new head coach, Virat Kohli is no more leading India in any format of the game. Kohli had stepped down as T20I captain willingly last year before being sacked as the ODI captain.

He decided to quit Test captaincy earlier this month which has further resulted in turmoil in Indian cricket. With the team suffering crushing defeats in both the Test and the ODI series against South Africa recently, questions have been raised on the side's morale and confidence going forward.

Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for not dealing with the situation properly. Latif believes BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had a role to play in Shastri's exit as head coach and that BCCI would not have let the former all-rounder continue in his role even if he wanted to after his contract expired.

"All this began happening when Anil Kumble was wrongly removed as coach. Ravi Shastri had taken no coaching courses and yet he directly took entry as the coach. This was a strong group – Kumble had over 600 wickets and Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid were his teammates. This trio is very strong," Latif said in a video on YouTube channel Caught Behind.

Latif claimed Shastri was told by BCCI president Ganguly that there was no way he can get another extension as head coach and that it was time for him to go. Shastri had announced before the T20 World Cup 2021 that he will be leaving the India head coach post after the conclusion of the tournament last year.&nbsp;

However, as per the former Pakistan captain, Ganguly had a role in his exit and such personal attacks have hurt Indian cricket in the last few months.

"By all means, Ganguly told Shastri 'boss, it's time to go' even if Shastri had considered continuing as coach. This whole thing has been building up since before the T20 World Cup, these are personal attacks and it has impacted Indian cricket. What happened with Pakistan in the early 1990s is happening today with Indian cricket," Latif said.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/should-jasprit-bumrah-succeed-virat-kohli-as-indias-test-captain-ex-head-coach-ravi-shastri-answers-448201">Should Jasprit Bumrah succeed Virat Kohli as India's Test captain? Ex-head coach Ravi Shastri answers</a>

Latif believes KL Rahul isn't the right guy to help Indian cricket recover from the current situation and he feels Rohit Sharma will have to work hard on his fitness to ensure he can manage his workload well and take Indian cricket forward.

"Such off-field tensions hamper the performances of the team and that is exactly what has happened. Who was sitting with Kohli? Siraj, on the left. On his right, there were players who nobody knew. That picture stated it all. KL Rahul cannot handle the team, and it remains to be seen how Rohit Sharma maintains his fitness if he is to be the man to usher Indian cricket into the future," he added.

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Indian cricket has undergone significant changes since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021 last year. While Ravi Shastri was replaced by Rahul Dravid as the new head coach, Virat Kohli is no more leading India in any format of the game.

Indian cricket has undergone significant changes since the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021 last year. While Ravi Shastri was replaced by Rahul Dravid as the new head coach, Virat Kohli is no more leading India in any format of the game. Kohli had stepped down as T20I captain willingly last year before being sacked as the ODI captain. He decided to quit Test captaincy earlier this month which has further resulted in turmoil in Indian cricket. With the team suffering crushing defeats in both the Test and the ODI series against South Africa recently, questions have been raised on the side's morale and confidence going forward. Former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif has slammed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for not dealing with the situation properly. Latif believes BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had a role to play in Shastri's exit as head coach and that BCCI would not have let the former all-rounder continue in his role even if he wanted to after his contract expired. "All this began happening when Anil Kumble was wrongly removed as coach. Ravi Shastri had taken no coaching courses and yet he directly took entry as the coach. This was a strong group – Kumble had over 600 wickets and Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid were his teammates. This trio is very strong," Latif said in a video on YouTube channel Caught Behind. Latif claimed Shastri was told by BCCI president Ganguly that there was no way he can get another extension as head coach and that it was time for him to go. Shastri had announced before the T20 World Cup 2021 that he will be leaving the India head coach post after the conclusion of the tournament last year. However, as per the former Pakistan captain, Ganguly had a role in his exit and such personal attacks have hurt Indian cricket in the last few months. "By all means, Ganguly told Shastri 'boss, it's time to go' even if Shastri had considered continuing as coach. This whole thing has been building up since before the T20 World Cup, these are personal attacks and it has impacted Indian cricket. What happened with Pakistan in the early 1990s is happening today with Indian cricket," Latif said. Also Read: Should Jasprit Bumrah succeed Virat Kohli as India's Test captain? Ex-head coach Ravi Shastri answers Latif believes KL Rahul isn't the right guy to help Indian cricket recover from the current situation and he feels Rohit Sharma will have to work hard on his fitness to ensure he can manage his workload well and take Indian cricket forward. "Such off-field tensions hamper the performances of the team and that is exactly what has happened. Who was sitting with Kohli? Siraj, on the left. On his right, there were players who nobody knew. That picture stated it all. KL Rahul cannot handle the team, and it remains to be seen how Rohit Sharma maintains his fitness if he is to be the man to usher Indian cricket into the future," he added.

Sourav Ganguly told Ravi Shastri 'boss it's time to go', personal attacks have hurt India: Ex-Pakistan captain

Indian cricket is not at its best at the moment. Following the Virat Kohli-led Indian team's shambolic performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE, many changes took place in the Indian cricket. Kohli had already announced that the T20 WC will be his last as the captain in the shortest format. He was replaced by Rohit Sharma before Hitman was also named the ODI captain following Kohli's sacking in early December, 2021.

The BCCI selectors sacked Kohli as the ODI captain, with a view to have only one white-ball skipper going forward. Following that, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly stated that he had requested Kohli to not quit as T20I captain, however, the latter denied all such claims during his explosive presser before India's tour of South Africa, on December 15.&nbsp;

Kohli also stated that he had no prior communication from the national selectors before being sacked as the ODI captain. While the India-SA Tests ended amid tension between Kohli and the board-national selectors, the 33-year-old went onto resign as the Test captain as well following the red-ball series in the rainbow nation, on January 15.

Thus, the tension between Kohli and the BCCI is evident from the outside. Kapil Dev, India's first World Cup-winning captain, has now joined the bandwagon and reacted to the whole controversy. He feels both sides should talk it out and sort things out, keeping the country and team in mind.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/playing-against-india-is-md-rizwan-recalls-pakistans-historic-triumph-over-men-in-blue-in-2021-t20wc-447525">'Playing against India is...': Md Rizwan recalls Pakistan's historic triumph over Men in Blue in 2021 T20WC</a>

Speaking to&nbsp;The Week&nbsp;magazine, Kapil pointed out, "They should have sorted out the issues between them. Pick up the phone, talk to each other, put the country and team before yourself. In the beginning, I also got everything I wanted. But sometimes, you may not get it. That should not mean that you leave the captaincy. If he has left it because of that, then I do not know what to say. He is a fabulous player; [I want to] watch him play so much more and score runs, especially in Test cricket.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-vs-bcci-is-there-any-real-winner-in-this-tussle-446528">Virat Kohli vs BCCI: Is there any real winner in this tussle?</a>

Rahul Dravid-led India recently ended their dismal tour of SA. They lost the Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding three ODIs. With many blaming the Kohli vs BCCI row for India's downfall in the African nation, the Indian cricket loyalists hope that the matter is sorted out at the earliest to prevent the team's downfall going forward.

Indian cricket is not at its best at the moment. Following the Virat Kohli-led Indian team's shambolic performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE, many changes took place in the Indian cricket.

Indian cricket is not at its best at the moment. Following the Virat Kohli-led Indian team's shambolic performance in the 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE, many changes took place in the Indian cricket. Kohli had already announced that the T20 WC will be his last as the captain in the shortest format. He was replaced by Rohit Sharma before Hitman was also named the ODI captain following Kohli's sacking in early December, 2021. The BCCI selectors sacked Kohli as the ODI captain, with a view to have only one white-ball skipper going forward. Following that, BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly stated that he had requested Kohli to not quit as T20I captain, however, the latter denied all such claims during his explosive presser before India's tour of South Africa, on December 15. Kohli also stated that he had no prior communication from the national selectors before being sacked as the ODI captain. While the India-SA Tests ended amid tension between Kohli and the board-national selectors, the 33-year-old went onto resign as the Test captain as well following the red-ball series in the rainbow nation, on January 15. Thus, the tension between Kohli and the BCCI is evident from the outside. Kapil Dev, India's first World Cup-winning captain, has now joined the bandwagon and reacted to the whole controversy. He feels both sides should talk it out and sort things out, keeping the country and team in mind. ALSO READ | 'Playing against India is...': Md Rizwan recalls Pakistan's historic triumph over Men in Blue in 2021 T20WC Speaking to The Week magazine, Kapil pointed out, "They should have sorted out the issues between them. Pick up the phone, talk to each other, put the country and team before yourself. In the beginning, I also got everything I wanted. But sometimes, you may not get it. That should not mean that you leave the captaincy. If he has left it because of that, then I do not know what to say. He is a fabulous player; [I want to] watch him play so much more and score runs, especially in Test cricket. ALSO READ | Virat Kohli vs BCCI: Is there any real winner in this tussle? Rahul Dravid-led India recently ended their dismal tour of SA. They lost the Tests 2-1 and were whitewashed in the preceding three ODIs. With many blaming the Kohli vs BCCI row for India's downfall in the African nation, the Indian cricket loyalists hope that the matter is sorted out at the earliest to prevent the team's downfall going forward.

Pick up the phone and talk: Kapil Dev opines on Virat Kohli vs BCCI row, says 'put country, team before self'

The last few months have not been easy for &nbsp;Virat Kohli, who is no more the captain of the Indian team across all three formats after a public fallout with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The captaincy saga started when Kohli announced in September last year that he will be stepping down as the T20I captain of the team post the T20 World Cup 2021.

Kohli was later removed as the ODI captain as well despite having expressed his desire to continue leading India in Tests and ODIs. After being sacked as ODI captain, Kohli gave an explosive press conference ahead of India's tour of South Africa in December where he went on to counter some of the claims made by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly.

Kohli contradicted Ganguly's comments that he had been asked by the BCCI president to not give up T20I captaincy. He also revealed he was informed about his sacking as ODI captain only ninety minutes before the decision was made official. The selectors wanted to have only one white-ball captain for India which led to them removing Kohli as the ODI skipper.

Kohli left India's Test captaincy last week, a day after the team's 2-1 defeat against South Africa in the recently-concluded Test series. Just days after his decision to quit Test captaincy, reports emerged that all was not well between Kohli and the BCCI and that Ganguly had planned to send a 'show-cause' notice to Kohli after his explosive presser in December.

The report suggested that Ganguly was not happy with the comments made by Kohli in the presser. The BCCI president has finally broken his silence on the matter and dismissed the reports calling them fake. "Not true at all," Ganguly was quoted as saying to Indian Express on the reports of him planning a show-cause notice for Kohli.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-president-ganguly-wanted-to-issue-showcause-notice-to-kohli-following-his-explosive-presser-report-446249">BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue show-cause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser</a>

<h2>Focus back on Virat Kohli the batter&nbsp;</h2>

After leaving captaincy across all formats of the game, the focus is bac on Kohli the batter. The former India skipper has not been on top of his game in international cricket for a while now and is still looking to find his old consistency back. Kohli, who hasn't scored an international ton since 2019, will be hoping to bounce back strongly and win matches for India as a batter going forward.

The last few months have not been easy for Virat Kohli, who is no more the captain of the Indian team across all three formats after a public fallout with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).

The last few months have not been easy for Virat Kohli, who is no more the captain of the Indian team across all three formats after a public fallout with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI). The captaincy saga started when Kohli announced in September last year that he will be stepping down as the T20I captain of the team post the T20 World Cup 2021. Kohli was later removed as the ODI captain as well despite having expressed his desire to continue leading India in Tests and ODIs. After being sacked as ODI captain, Kohli gave an explosive press conference ahead of India's tour of South Africa in December where he went on to counter some of the claims made by BCCI president Sourav Ganguly. Kohli contradicted Ganguly's comments that he had been asked by the BCCI president to not give up T20I captaincy. He also revealed he was informed about his sacking as ODI captain only ninety minutes before the decision was made official. The selectors wanted to have only one white-ball captain for India which led to them removing Kohli as the ODI skipper. Kohli left India's Test captaincy last week, a day after the team's 2-1 defeat against South Africa in the recently-concluded Test series. Just days after his decision to quit Test captaincy, reports emerged that all was not well between Kohli and the BCCI and that Ganguly had planned to send a 'show-cause' notice to Kohli after his explosive presser in December. The report suggested that Ganguly was not happy with the comments made by Kohli in the presser. The BCCI president has finally broken his silence on the matter and dismissed the reports calling them fake. "Not true at all," Ganguly was quoted as saying to Indian Express on the reports of him planning a show-cause notice for Kohli. Also Read: BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue show-cause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser Focus back on Virat Kohli the batter After leaving captaincy across all formats of the game, the focus is bac on Kohli the batter. The former India skipper has not been on top of his game in international cricket for a while now and is still looking to find his old consistency back. Kohli, who hasn't scored an international ton since 2019, will be hoping to bounce back strongly and win matches for India as a batter going forward.

Did Sourav Ganguly plan to send 'show-cause notice' to Virat Kohli? BCCI president breaks silence

A lot has transpired in Indian cricket, especially in the senior men's team in the last four months.&nbsp;In mid-September 2021, Virat Kohli dropped a bomb on social media by announcing his resignation as the T20I captain post the World Cup, in the UAE.

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🇮🇳 ❤️ <a href="https://t.co/Ds7okjhj9J">pic.twitter.com/Ds7okjhj9J</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1438478585518456832?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">September 16, 2021</a></blockquote>
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After India's colossal failure in the showpiece event, a lot of changes were expected. However, none of the connoisseurs of the game would have foreseen the plethora of changes that came into picture since then.&nbsp;

While Rohit Sharma succeeded Kohli as the T20I captain, being rewarded for his envious record as IPL captain, the latter remained the ODI and Test captain (he himself wanted to carry on as skipper in the longer formats as per his T20I captaincy resignation tweet). Nonetheless, a twist in the tale unfolded just before India boarded the flight for the ongoing South Africa trip.&nbsp;

Last year on December 8, BCCI announced Rohit as the limited-overs captain altogether, sacking Kohli from the top job in the 50-over format. The announcement was made courtesy a two-line Twitter post from the board's official handle:

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The All-India Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Mr Rohit Sharma as the Captain of the ODI &amp; T20I teams going forward.<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> | <a href="https://twitter.com/ImRo45?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ImRo45</a> <a href="https://t.co/hcg92sPtCa">pic.twitter.com/hcg92sPtCa</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1468577752953483264?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 8, 2021</a></blockquote>
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A thank you post for outgoing captain Kohli followed a day later, i.e. on December 9.&nbsp;

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A leader who led the side with grit, passion &amp; determination. 🇮🇳🔝 
 
Thank you Captain <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@imVkohli</a>!👏👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/TeamIndia?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#TeamIndia</a> <a href="https://t.co/gz7r6KCuWF">pic.twitter.com/gz7r6KCuWF</a>
— BCCI (@BCCI) <a href="https://twitter.com/BCCI/status/1468919777120829441?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 9, 2021</a></blockquote>
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The lack of prior communication -- in terms of a proper official statement by the BCCI -- and the late Twitter post irked many Indian cricket fans, who&nbsp;remained baffled with the sudden turn of events. What was cooking?&nbsp;

All eyes, thus, shifted to BCCI's customary press conference before Team India's departure for the rainbow nation. On December 15, Kohli spearheaded the presser and dropped few more bombs with his answers in an affirmative tone.&nbsp;

While BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly had already conveyed that the board officials and national selectors had requested Kohli to remain the T20I captain,&nbsp;the star Indian batter contradicted from the claims. "I had told BCCI that I want to quit T20I captaincy. I wasn't told to reconsider it. It was received well, without any hesitation; I was told it's a progressive step and it's in the right direction. I had told them that I want to continue ODI and Test captaincy unless the office bearers think otherwise. I had given that option to them," Kohli had stated.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-president-ganguly-wanted-to-issue-showcause-notice-to-kohli-following-his-explosive-presser-report-446249">BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue showcause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser - Report</a>

In addition, Kohli made it clear that he had no prior communication with the national selectors regarding the ODI captaincy switch. He revealed that he came to know about the decision only 90 minutes prior to the official announcement.&nbsp;

Thus, this opened a pandora of box. Kohli's explosive presser exposed the dire straits between the board, selectors and the superstar cricketer.

In response to the presser, Ganguly made it clear that the board will not make any official statement due to ongoing&nbsp;SA tour. "No statements, no press conference. We will deal with it, leave it to (the) BCCI," Ganguly told local mediapersons after the presser.

Nonetheless, chief selector Chetan Sharma made heads turn, stating that Kohli was asked by officials and selectors to remain T20I captain.&nbsp; "When meeting started, it was a surprise for everybody. If the World T20 is round the corner and you hear something like this, what will be your reaction? Everyone present in that meeting had told him that he should rethink his decision (to quit T20 captaincy) and we can talk about it after the World Cup. All selectors felt at that time that this can affect us in the World Cup. It was told to Virat for sake of Indian cricket, please continue as the captain and it was told by everybody present in the meeting. The convenors were there, board officials were there. Sabhi ne bola hai (everyone told him). Who won’t tell? If this news comes to you, you are in a shock. But since we had a World T20 to play, we never wanted it to affect team," the former India pacer told on December 31.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/one-match-makes-virat-kohli-turned-down-bccis-offer-to-play-farewell-test-as-captain-report-445316">'One match makes...': Virat Kohli turned down BCCI's offer to play farewell Test as captain - Report</a>

When the Indian cricket fans were busy trying to make sense of the mysterious turn of events, Kohli dropped another bomb -- probably throwing his last roll of the&nbsp;dice&nbsp;-- by announcing his resignation as the Test captain post India's 2-1 series loss to SA in the African nation.&nbsp;

On January 15, Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now."

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🇮🇳 <a href="https://t.co/huBL6zZ7fZ">pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ</a>
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) <a href="https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1482340422987169794?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 15, 2022</a></blockquote>
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Following Kohli's resignation, ending his Team India captaincy tenure altogether, many reactions came in a flash. Needless to say, Ganguly's response was most awaited. Few hours after Kohli's announcement, Ganguly wrote, "Under Virat's leadership Indian cricket has made rapid strides in all formats of the game... his decision is a personal one and bcci respects it immensely... he will be an important member to take this team to newer heights in the future. A great player. well done... @BCCI @imVkohli."

A battle with no winner but plenty of losers!

So far, there is total chaos surrounding Indian cricket. It reminds the 90s fans of the infamous Greg Chappell-era.&nbsp;

As an Indian cricket loyalist, the cracks became evident on the day BCCI made the ODI captaincy switch. The lack of communication and late tribute for Kohli -- yes, even a timely Twitter post for some big announcements means a lot in the social media-era -- triggered the collapse.&nbsp;

Ganguly statement prior to Kohli's presser was entirely uncalled for (similarly, the latter's T20I captaincy resignation announcement can also be termed 'untimely'; i.e. a month before the World Cup). Being the BCCI chief, he could've shifted the query towards the national selectors. After all, it was their unanimous choice to sack Kohli and have one white-ball captain.

Former India cricketer and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar had lashed out at the BCCI chief and told Khaleej Times, "It’s very unfortunate, the whole thing. I think it should have been handled more professionally by the cricket board. The thing is that Ganguly had no business to speak on behalf of the selection committee. Ganguly is the president of BCCI. Any issue about selection or captaincy, it’s the chairman of the selection committee who should speak."

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-had-no-pressure-from-the-board-selectors-bcci-treasurer-reacts-to-kohli-leaving-test-captaincy-445254">Virat had no pressure from the board, selectors: BCCI treasurer reacts to Kohli leaving Test captaincy</a>

Further, Kohli's presser fanned the fire. Chetan Sharma's statements led to more questions than answers. The 33-year-old Kohli's Test resignation -- a format where he excelled as captain -- raised more eyebrows; acting as a confirmation to many Indian cricket fans that the superstar batter chose to side away from all the negativity and war of words.&nbsp;

In the ongoing India-SA ODIs, Kohli has scores of 51 and 0 so far. While he didn't dominate entirely in the first outing, he fell for a five-ball duck in the second and penultimate ODI. Fans are already concerned that the BCCI row has taken a lot out of Kohli, who has clearly lacked intensity on the field.&nbsp;

It is NOT looking good

Irrespective of how things have unfolded, Kohli's presence, intensity and contribution remain&nbsp;of utmost importance to Team India across formats.

Thus, one wishes that the tug of war between Kohli and BCCI is over. For now, it is taking a lot out of a talismanic batter and also putting BCCI under the scanner. For the unversed, on&nbsp;Thursday (January 20), reports suggested&nbsp;that Ganguly prevented issuing a show cause notice to Kohli for his explosive presser.&nbsp;A source close to the development was quoted as saying by India Ahead News, "And the board president was all for issuing a show cause notice to Kohli." Hence, the writing is clearly on the wall as the recipe being cooked is surely nothing less than a disaster.&nbsp;

If all this continues, India will lose many battles&nbsp;even before taking&nbsp;on oppositions on the field. People following the India-SA series have already concluded that the national side is looking clueless with each passing game in the African nation.

A lot has transpired in Indian cricket, especially in the senior men's team in the last four months. In mid-September 2021, Virat Kohli dropped a bomb on social media by announcing his resignation as the T20I captain post the World Cup, in the UAE.

A lot has transpired in Indian cricket, especially in the senior men's team in the last four months. In mid-September 2021, Virat Kohli dropped a bomb on social media by announcing his resignation as the T20I captain post the World Cup, in the UAE. 🇮🇳 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ds7okjhj9J — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 16, 2021 × After India's colossal failure in the showpiece event, a lot of changes were expected. However, none of the connoisseurs of the game would have foreseen the plethora of changes that came into picture since then. While Rohit Sharma succeeded Kohli as the T20I captain, being rewarded for his envious record as IPL captain, the latter remained the ODI and Test captain (he himself wanted to carry on as skipper in the longer formats as per his T20I captaincy resignation tweet). Nonetheless, a twist in the tale unfolded just before India boarded the flight for the ongoing South Africa trip. Last year on December 8, BCCI announced Rohit as the limited-overs captain altogether, sacking Kohli from the top job in the 50-over format. The announcement was made courtesy a two-line Twitter post from the board's official handle: The All-India Senior Selection Committee also decided to name Mr Rohit Sharma as the Captain of the ODI & T20I teams going forward.#TeamIndia | @ImRo45 pic.twitter.com/hcg92sPtCa — BCCI (@BCCI) December 8, 2021 × A thank you post for outgoing captain Kohli followed a day later, i.e. on December 9. A leader who led the side with grit, passion & determination. 🇮🇳🔝 Thank you Captain @imVkohli!👏👏#TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/gz7r6KCuWF — BCCI (@BCCI) December 9, 2021 × The lack of prior communication -- in terms of a proper official statement by the BCCI -- and the late Twitter post irked many Indian cricket fans, who remained baffled with the sudden turn of events. What was cooking? All eyes, thus, shifted to BCCI's customary press conference before Team India's departure for the rainbow nation. On December 15, Kohli spearheaded the presser and dropped few more bombs with his answers in an affirmative tone. While BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly had already conveyed that the board officials and national selectors had requested Kohli to remain the T20I captain, the star Indian batter contradicted from the claims. "I had told BCCI that I want to quit T20I captaincy. I wasn't told to reconsider it. It was received well, without any hesitation; I was told it's a progressive step and it's in the right direction. I had told them that I want to continue ODI and Test captaincy unless the office bearers think otherwise. I had given that option to them," Kohli had stated. ALSO READ | BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue showcause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser - Report In addition, Kohli made it clear that he had no prior communication with the national selectors regarding the ODI captaincy switch. He revealed that he came to know about the decision only 90 minutes prior to the official announcement. Thus, this opened a pandora of box. Kohli's explosive presser exposed the dire straits between the board, selectors and the superstar cricketer. In response to the presser, Ganguly made it clear that the board will not make any official statement due to ongoing SA tour. "No statements, no press conference. We will deal with it, leave it to (the) BCCI," Ganguly told local mediapersons after the presser. Nonetheless, chief selector Chetan Sharma made heads turn, stating that Kohli was asked by officials and selectors to remain T20I captain. "When meeting started, it was a surprise for everybody. If the World T20 is round the corner and you hear something like this, what will be your reaction? Everyone present in that meeting had told him that he should rethink his decision (to quit T20 captaincy) and we can talk about it after the World Cup. All selectors felt at that time that this can affect us in the World Cup. It was told to Virat for sake of Indian cricket, please continue as the captain and it was told by everybody present in the meeting. The convenors were there, board officials were there. Sabhi ne bola hai (everyone told him). Who won’t tell? If this news comes to you, you are in a shock. But since we had a World T20 to play, we never wanted it to affect team," the former India pacer told on December 31. ALSO READ | 'One match makes...': Virat Kohli turned down BCCI's offer to play farewell Test as captain - Report When the Indian cricket fans were busy trying to make sense of the mysterious turn of events, Kohli dropped another bomb -- probably throwing his last roll of the dice -- by announcing his resignation as the Test captain post India's 2-1 series loss to SA in the African nation. On January 15, Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now." 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022 × Following Kohli's resignation, ending his Team India captaincy tenure altogether, many reactions came in a flash. Needless to say, Ganguly's response was most awaited. Few hours after Kohli's announcement, Ganguly wrote, "Under Virat's leadership Indian cricket has made rapid strides in all formats of the game... his decision is a personal one and bcci respects it immensely... he will be an important member to take this team to newer heights in the future. A great player. well done... @BCCI @imVkohli." A battle with no winner but plenty of losers! So far, there is total chaos surrounding Indian cricket. It reminds the 90s fans of the infamous Greg Chappell-era. As an Indian cricket loyalist, the cracks became evident on the day BCCI made the ODI captaincy switch. The lack of communication and late tribute for Kohli -- yes, even a timely Twitter post for some big announcements means a lot in the social media-era -- triggered the collapse. Ganguly statement prior to Kohli's presser was entirely uncalled for (similarly, the latter's T20I captaincy resignation announcement can also be termed 'untimely'; i.e. a month before the World Cup). Being the BCCI chief, he could've shifted the query towards the national selectors. After all, it was their unanimous choice to sack Kohli and have one white-ball captain. Former India cricketer and chief selector Dilip Vengsarkar had lashed out at the BCCI chief and told Khaleej Times, "It’s very unfortunate, the whole thing. I think it should have been handled more professionally by the cricket board. The thing is that Ganguly had no business to speak on behalf of the selection committee. Ganguly is the president of BCCI. Any issue about selection or captaincy, it’s the chairman of the selection committee who should speak." ALSO READ | Virat had no pressure from the board, selectors: BCCI treasurer reacts to Kohli leaving Test captaincy Further, Kohli's presser fanned the fire. Chetan Sharma's statements led to more questions than answers. The 33-year-old Kohli's Test resignation -- a format where he excelled as captain -- raised more eyebrows; acting as a confirmation to many Indian cricket fans that the superstar batter chose to side away from all the negativity and war of words. In the ongoing India-SA ODIs, Kohli has scores of 51 and 0 so far. While he didn't dominate entirely in the first outing, he fell for a five-ball duck in the second and penultimate ODI. Fans are already concerned that the BCCI row has taken a lot out of Kohli, who has clearly lacked intensity on the field. It is NOT looking good Irrespective of how things have unfolded, Kohli's presence, intensity and contribution remain of utmost importance to Team India across formats. Thus, one wishes that the tug of war between Kohli and BCCI is over. For now, it is taking a lot out of a talismanic batter and also putting BCCI under the scanner. For the unversed, on Thursday (January 20), reports suggested that Ganguly prevented issuing a show cause notice to Kohli for his explosive presser. A source close to the development was quoted as saying by India Ahead News, "And the board president was all for issuing a show cause notice to Kohli." Hence, the writing is clearly on the wall as the recipe being cooked is surely nothing less than a disaster. If all this continues, India will lose many battles even before taking on oppositions on the field. People following the India-SA series have already concluded that the national side is looking clueless with each passing game in the African nation.

Virat Kohli vs BCCI: Is there any real winner in this tussle?

A lot has transpired in Indian cricket following the disastrous 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. While Virat Kohli had made it clear that he will give up T20I captaincy post the mega event in the Middle East, he was sacked as the ODI captain earlier in December, 2021.

Post the ODI captaincy switch, Kohl had addressed the media in BCCI's customary press conference prior to Team India's departure for South Africa, for three Tests and ODIs each. During the presser, the 33-year-old Kohli revealed that he wasn't asked by anyone to reconsider quitting T20I captaincy, contrary to BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly's claims, and told that there was lack of communication&nbsp;between him and the board before his sacking as&nbsp;ODI captain.

Kohli's comments didn't go down well with the BCCI and Ganguly reportedly wanted to send a show cause notice to the Indian star batter. As per reports, the BCCI President had&nbsp;prepared a draft letter and wanted to send a show cause notice to Kohli but decided against it with the India-SA Tests just few days away.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-sa-virat-kohli-temba-bavuma-involved-in-fiery-exchange-during-1st-odi-in-paarl-watch-446129">India vs SA: Virat Kohli, Temba Bavuma involved in fiery exchange during 1st ODI in Paarl - WATCH</a>

A source close to the development was quoted as saying by India Ahead News, "And the board president was all for issuing a show cause notice to Kohli."

It would have been an unprecedented move had Ganguly gone ahead with the show cause notice. For now, the BCCI vs Kohli row has died down, however, tension remains between the board and the former Indian captain.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/india-vs-sa-virat-kohli-surpasses-sachin-tendulkar-ricky-ponting-to-achieve-elite-feat-during-1st-odi-446022">India vs SA: Virat Kohli surpasses Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting to achieve elite feat during 1st ODI</a>

Post the India-SA Tests, in the rainbow nation, Kohli also stepped down as the Test captain. He had even called the BCCI secretary Jay Shah to inform about his decision, however, didn't bother calling Ganguly (as per reports).&nbsp;

Sharing his decision, on January 15, Kohli had&nbsp;tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now."

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To this, Ganguly had shared a Twitter post and said, "Under Virat's leadership Indian cricket has made rapid strides in all formats of the game... his decision is a personal one and bcci respects it immensely... he will be an important member to take this team to newer heights in the future. A great player. well done... @BCCI @imVkohli,

A lot has transpired in Indian cricket following the disastrous 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. While Virat Kohli had made it clear that he will give up T20I captaincy post the mega event in the Middle East, he was sacked as the ODI captain earlier in December, 2021.

A lot has transpired in Indian cricket following the disastrous 2021 T20 World Cup, held in the UAE. While Virat Kohli had made it clear that he will give up T20I captaincy post the mega event in the Middle East, he was sacked as the ODI captain earlier in December, 2021. Post the ODI captaincy switch, Kohl had addressed the media in BCCI's customary press conference prior to Team India's departure for South Africa, for three Tests and ODIs each. During the presser, the 33-year-old Kohli revealed that he wasn't asked by anyone to reconsider quitting T20I captaincy, contrary to BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly's claims, and told that there was lack of communication between him and the board before his sacking as ODI captain. Kohli's comments didn't go down well with the BCCI and Ganguly reportedly wanted to send a show cause notice to the Indian star batter. As per reports, the BCCI President had prepared a draft letter and wanted to send a show cause notice to Kohli but decided against it with the India-SA Tests just few days away. ALSO READ | India vs SA: Virat Kohli, Temba Bavuma involved in fiery exchange during 1st ODI in Paarl - WATCH A source close to the development was quoted as saying by India Ahead News, "And the board president was all for issuing a show cause notice to Kohli." It would have been an unprecedented move had Ganguly gone ahead with the show cause notice. For now, the BCCI vs Kohli row has died down, however, tension remains between the board and the former Indian captain. ALSO READ | India vs SA: Virat Kohli surpasses Sachin Tendulkar, Ricky Ponting to achieve elite feat during 1st ODI Post the India-SA Tests, in the rainbow nation, Kohli also stepped down as the Test captain. He had even called the BCCI secretary Jay Shah to inform about his decision, however, didn't bother calling Ganguly (as per reports). Sharing his decision, on January 15, Kohli had tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now." 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022 × To this, Ganguly had shared a Twitter post and said, "Under Virat's leadership Indian cricket has made rapid strides in all formats of the game... his decision is a personal one and bcci respects it immensely... he will be an important member to take this team to newer heights in the future. A great player. well done... @BCCI @imVkohli,

BCCI President Ganguly wanted to issue showcause notice to Kohli following his explosive presser - Report

Virat Kohli dropped a shocker on Saturday (January 15) as he surprisingly announced that he is stepping down as the captain of the Indian Test team with immediate effect. Kohli's decision came just a day after India lost the three-match Test series against South Africa 2-1. The decision baffled many as Kohli was on his way to becoming one of the greatest Test leaders of all time.

Nonetheless, he signed off as India's most successful captain of all time in Tests with an impressive 40 wins in 68 matches as captain. Ever since Kohli's decision, there have been speculations surrounding BCCI's role in the entire saga with many blaming the board for playing a role in forcing Kohli out.

The speculations have arisen from the fact that it was not long ago that Kohli and the Indian cricket board had a public fallout over his sacking as ODI captain of the team. In an explosive press conference ahead of the South Africa tour in December last year, Kohli had openly contradicted BCCI president Sourav Ganguly's comments about his removal as ODI captain.

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BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, however, in his tweet, clarified that the decision to leave Test captaincy was entirely Kohli's call and that he had no pressure from the BCCI. Reacting to Kohli's move and Ganguly's tweet on it, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif made some bold claims.

Latif believes the real reason behind Kohli's decision to leave Test captaincy can be his tiff with the BCCI and board president Ganguly. The former Pakistan captain said it is a battle between the two stalwarts of Indian cricket.

"The real reason why these things happen is because you have a tiff with the board. Irrespective of what Virat says that it's his decision or what Sourav Ganguly tweets, this is battle of two stalwarts," Rashid Latif said in a video on his YouTube channel Caught Behind.

Also Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-kohli-was-tired-was-his-decision-alone-to-leave-test-captaincy-rohit-likely-to-take-over-report-445179">Virat Kohli was 'tired', was his decision alone to leave Test captaincy; Rohit likely to take over - Report</a>

You have unsettled Indian cricket: Rashid Latif slams BCCI

Former Pakistan captain Latif also slammed the BCCI for targeting Kohli unnecessarily since his decision to step down as the T20I captain of the team last year. Kohli had last year announced that he will not remain India's T20I skipper post the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021 but had expressed his desire to continue leading the side in ODIs and Tests.

However, he was later removed as the ODI captain with the BCCI biggies reasoning that the selectors wanted to have one white-ball captain going forward. Latif criticised the Indian cricket board, accusing them of not just unsettling Kohli, one of the greatest in midern-day cricket but also Indian cricket.

"Some people are emotional. They know when and how to provoke Kohli. When he announced that he won't captain India in T20Is after the World Cup, he was removed as ODI captain as well. You haven't only unsettled Kohli; you've unsettled Indian cricket,"

Virat Kohli dropped a shocker on Saturday (January 15) as he surprisingly announced that he is stepping down as the captain of the Indian Test team with immediate effect.

Virat Kohli dropped a shocker on Saturday (January 15) as he surprisingly announced that he is stepping down as the captain of the Indian Test team with immediate effect. Kohli's decision came just a day after India lost the three-match Test series against South Africa 2-1. The decision baffled many as Kohli was on his way to becoming one of the greatest Test leaders of all time. Nonetheless, he signed off as India's most successful captain of all time in Tests with an impressive 40 wins in 68 matches as captain. Ever since Kohli's decision, there have been speculations surrounding BCCI's role in the entire saga with many blaming the board for playing a role in forcing Kohli out. The speculations have arisen from the fact that it was not long ago that Kohli and the Indian cricket board had a public fallout over his sacking as ODI captain of the team. In an explosive press conference ahead of the South Africa tour in December last year, Kohli had openly contradicted BCCI president Sourav Ganguly's comments about his removal as ODI captain. × BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, however, in his tweet, clarified that the decision to leave Test captaincy was entirely Kohli's call and that he had no pressure from the BCCI. Reacting to Kohli's move and Ganguly's tweet on it, former Pakistan captain Rashid Latif made some bold claims. Latif believes the real reason behind Kohli's decision to leave Test captaincy can be his tiff with the BCCI and board president Ganguly. The former Pakistan captain said it is a battle between the two stalwarts of Indian cricket. "The real reason why these things happen is because you have a tiff with the board. Irrespective of what Virat says that it's his decision or what Sourav Ganguly tweets, this is battle of two stalwarts," Rashid Latif said in a video on his YouTube channel Caught Behind. Also Read: Virat Kohli was 'tired', was his decision alone to leave Test captaincy; Rohit likely to take over - Report You have unsettled Indian cricket: Rashid Latif slams BCCI Former Pakistan captain Latif also slammed the BCCI for targeting Kohli unnecessarily since his decision to step down as the T20I captain of the team last year. Kohli had last year announced that he will not remain India's T20I skipper post the conclusion of the T20 World Cup 2021 but had expressed his desire to continue leading the side in ODIs and Tests. However, he was later removed as the ODI captain with the BCCI biggies reasoning that the selectors wanted to have one white-ball captain going forward. Latif criticised the Indian cricket board, accusing them of not just unsettling Kohli, one of the greatest in midern-day cricket but also Indian cricket. "Some people are emotional. They know when and how to provoke Kohli. When he announced that he won't captain India in T20Is after the World Cup, he was removed as ODI captain as well. You haven't only unsettled Kohli; you've unsettled Indian cricket,"

Irrespective of what Kohli says or what Ganguly tweets, it's battle of two stalwarts, says ex-Pakistan captain

Virat Kohli shocked the entire cricketing world after dropping the captaincy bomb on social media last week. He confirmed that he will no more be leading India in Tests and will now continue playing as only a batter in all three formats of the game for the Men in Blue. Kohli will be looking to make the most of the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, which will be his first international assignment after giving up captaincy across all formats.

All eyes will be on Kohli the batter when India will lock horns with the Proteas in the series-opener of the three-match ODI series at the Boland Park in Paarl on Thursday (January 19). The batting maestro will be looking to achieve a few milestones in the upcoming ODI series against the Proteas in their own backyard and is on the verge of surpassing Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in an elite list.

Kohli currently has 1287 runs in ODIs against South Africa and will be just a few runs away from surpassing both Dravid and Ganguly in the elite list of Indian batters with the most runs against the Proteas in ODIs when he walks out to bat in the 1st ODI in Paarl on Wednesday.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly (1313 runs) and current India head coach Rahul Dravid (1309 runs) are currently placed second and third&nbsp;respectively in the elite list of highest run-getters for India in ODIs against South Africa. Kohli needs just 27 runs to surpass the two greats and go second only behind Sachin Tendulkar.

Tendulkar is leading the elite list with 2001 runs in 57 ODIs against South Africa. Sachin is also the leading run-getter against South Africa overall and is followed by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting (1879 runs) at the second spot. Kohli is 8th on the overall list.

Also Read:<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/itll-be-an-honour-kl-rahul-on-potentially-taking-over-from-virat-kohli-as-indias-next-test-captain-445678">&nbsp;'It’ll be an honour': KL Rahul on potentially taking over from Virat Kohli as India's next Test captain</a>

<h3>Virat Kohli has a sublime record against South Africa:</h3>

Kohli has an exceptional record against South Africa in ODIs with his 1287 runs in just 27 matches at a stunning average of 64.35 including four centuries and six fifties. He also has a brilliant strike rate of 86.90 against the Proteas in ODIs so far in his career.

With the burden of captaincy off his shoulders now, Kohli will be hopeful of making an impact as a batter and returning to his old form. The former India skipper will be also hoping to bring an end to his long-standing century drought during the ODI series against South Africa.

<h3>&nbsp;</h3>

&nbsp;

Virat Kohli shocked the entire cricketing world after dropping the captaincy bomb on social media last week. He confirmed that he will no more be leading India in Tests and will now continue playing as only a batter in all three formats of the game for the Men in Blue.

Virat Kohli shocked the entire cricketing world after dropping the captaincy bomb on social media last week. He confirmed that he will no more be leading India in Tests and will now continue playing as only a batter in all three formats of the game for the Men in Blue. Kohli will be looking to make the most of the upcoming ODI series against South Africa, which will be his first international assignment after giving up captaincy across all formats. All eyes will be on Kohli the batter when India will lock horns with the Proteas in the series-opener of the three-match ODI series at the Boland Park in Paarl on Thursday (January 19). The batting maestro will be looking to achieve a few milestones in the upcoming ODI series against the Proteas in their own backyard and is on the verge of surpassing Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid in an elite list. Kohli currently has 1287 runs in ODIs against South Africa and will be just a few runs away from surpassing both Dravid and Ganguly in the elite list of Indian batters with the most runs against the Proteas in ODIs when he walks out to bat in the 1st ODI in Paarl on Wednesday. BCCI president Sourav Ganguly (1313 runs) and current India head coach Rahul Dravid (1309 runs) are currently placed second and third respectively in the elite list of highest run-getters for India in ODIs against South Africa. Kohli needs just 27 runs to surpass the two greats and go second only behind Sachin Tendulkar. Tendulkar is leading the elite list with 2001 runs in 57 ODIs against South Africa. Sachin is also the leading run-getter against South Africa overall and is followed by former Australia captain Ricky Ponting (1879 runs) at the second spot. Kohli is 8th on the overall list. Also Read: 'It’ll be an honour': KL Rahul on potentially taking over from Virat Kohli as India's next Test captain Virat Kohli has a sublime record against South Africa: Kohli has an exceptional record against South Africa in ODIs with his 1287 runs in just 27 matches at a stunning average of 64.35 including four centuries and six fifties. He also has a brilliant strike rate of 86.90 against the Proteas in ODIs so far in his career. With the burden of captaincy off his shoulders now, Kohli will be hopeful of making an impact as a batter and returning to his old form. The former India skipper will be also hoping to bring an end to his long-standing century drought during the ODI series against South Africa.

Virat Kohli on the verge of surpassing Dravid, Ganguly in elite list ahead of ODI series against South Africa

Virat Kohli, on Saturday (January 15), dropped a bomb by stepping down as the Indian Test captain, a day after India's 2-1 series loss to Dean Elgar's South Africa in their ongoing tour of the African nation. Under Kohli, India became one of the most successful Test teams in the modern-era as the 33-year-old led the national side to 40 wins in 68 Tests.

Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now."

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ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/virat-had-no-pressure-from-the-board-selectors-bcci-treasurer-reacts-to-kohli-leaving-test-captaincy-445254">Virat had no pressure from the board, selectors: BCCI treasurer reacts to Kohli leaving Test captaincy</a>

Kohli's resignation as Test captain came as a huge shocker to the cricketing fraternity given how much he loves to lead from the front in whites and the resounding success India has achieved under him.&nbsp;

According to a report filed by&nbsp;Hindustan Times,&nbsp;it has been learned that Kohli was offered a farewell Test as captain by the Sourav Ganguly-led Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official. As per the report, the board official had come up with an offer for Kohli to have a farewell Test as skipper along with a gala in Bengaluru (where the forthcoming home series opener versus Sri Lanka will be held next month) during his telephonic conversation. "One match makes no difference. That’s not how I am,” Kohli is reportedly known to have said in his reply.&nbsp;For the unversed, Kohli's next Test will also be his 100th match in whites, in Bengaluru.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/he-wants-to-make-himself-unsackable-manjrekar-on-kohlis-shocking-decision-to-resign-as-test-captain-445199">'He wants to make himself unsackable': Manjrekar on Kohli's shocking decision to resign as Test captain</a>

In the last four months, Kohli has freed himself from captaincy duties for Team India. While he announced his decision to resign as T20I captain prior to the World Cup, mid-September, he was removed from ODI captaincy before the SA tour whereas he left the top post in Tests on Saturday. Amid all this, Kohli's relation with the board has also gone down considerably; which could have been a factor in quitting captaincy altogether.

Virat Kohli, on Saturday (January 15), dropped a bomb by stepping down as the Indian Test captain, a day after India's 2-1 series loss to Dean Elgar's South Africa in their ongoing tour of the African nation.

Virat Kohli, on Saturday (January 15), dropped a bomb by stepping down as the Indian Test captain, a day after India's 2-1 series loss to Dean Elgar's South Africa in their ongoing tour of the African nation. Under Kohli, India became one of the most successful Test teams in the modern-era as the 33-year-old led the national side to 40 wins in 68 Tests. Kohli tweeted saying, "Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now. It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now." 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ — Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022 × ALSO READ | Virat had no pressure from the board, selectors: BCCI treasurer reacts to Kohli leaving Test captaincy Kohli's resignation as Test captain came as a huge shocker to the cricketing fraternity given how much he loves to lead from the front in whites and the resounding success India has achieved under him. According to a report filed by Hindustan Times, it has been learned that Kohli was offered a farewell Test as captain by the Sourav Ganguly-led Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) official. As per the report, the board official had come up with an offer for Kohli to have a farewell Test as skipper along with a gala in Bengaluru (where the forthcoming home series opener versus Sri Lanka will be held next month) during his telephonic conversation. "One match makes no difference. That’s not how I am,” Kohli is reportedly known to have said in his reply. For the unversed, Kohli's next Test will also be his 100th match in whites, in Bengaluru. ALSO READ | 'He wants to make himself unsackable': Manjrekar on Kohli's shocking decision to resign as Test captain In the last four months, Kohli has freed himself from captaincy duties for Team India. While he announced his decision to resign as T20I captain prior to the World Cup, mid-September, he was removed from ODI captaincy before the SA tour whereas he left the top post in Tests on Saturday. Amid all this, Kohli's relation with the board has also gone down considerably; which could have been a factor in quitting captaincy altogether.

'One match makes...': Virat Kohli turned down BCCI's offer to play farewell Test as captain - Report

The Indian cricket is blessed with plenty of yesteryear stars still contributing to the game by being involved in several roles. The former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is the BCCI President, since late 2019, whereas Rahul Dravid is serving as the head coach of the senior men's cricket team. On the other hand, VVS Laxman has taken up as the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), as Dravid's successor.

Among the players from the golden era, only Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is missing from the setup. For the unversed, Tendulkar has worked as the mentor for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL, however, has never taken up any role in the Indian cricket setup post retirement. Few weeks back, BCCI chief Ganguly had hinted of adding Tendulkar to the setup. It now looks like the BCCI secretary Jay Shah is keen to have Tendulkar on board in some form.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/hes-entertaining-but-brad-hogg-opines-on-pant-advises-dravid-to-not-have-a-word-with-him-444102">'He’s entertaining but...' - Brad Hogg opines on Pant, advises Dravid to not have a word with him</a>

As per a report in the&nbsp;Times of India, the BCCI secretary is keen to bring in the legendary cricketer in a supporting role, just like Dravid and Laxman.

“He’s (Shah) been off the media radar but absolutely clear about what is the right thing to do. Little things that matter. For instance, appointing Rahul Dravid as head coach, ensuring someone of the stature of VVS Laxman gets associated with the National Cricket Academy (NCA). We’re told he’s now trying to convince Sachin Tendulkar to get into some role in the near future,” said BCCI members in the know, as per TOI.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/ind-vs-sa-3rd-test-virat-kohli-surpasses-head-coach-rahul-dravid-in-elite-list-with-watchful-50-on-day-1-443953">Ind vs SA, 3rd Test: Virat Kohli surpasses head coach Rahul Dravid in elite list with watchful 50 on Day 1</a>

Tendulkar remains a big name in Indian cricket. He retired from the highest level in late 2013 by amassing over 34,000 runs and scoring 100 international tons. It will be interesting to see if he joins his former teammates in taking up any supporting role in Indian cricket.

The Indian cricket is blessed with plenty of yesteryear stars still contributing to the game by being involved in several roles. The former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is the BCCI President, since late 2019, whereas Rahul Dravid is serving as the head coach of the senior men's cricket team.

The Indian cricket is blessed with plenty of yesteryear stars still contributing to the game by being involved in several roles. The former Indian captain Sourav Ganguly is the BCCI President, since late 2019, whereas Rahul Dravid is serving as the head coach of the senior men's cricket team. On the other hand, VVS Laxman has taken up as the head of the National Cricket Academy (NCA), as Dravid's successor. Among the players from the golden era, only Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar is missing from the setup. For the unversed, Tendulkar has worked as the mentor for Mumbai Indians (MI) in the IPL, however, has never taken up any role in the Indian cricket setup post retirement. Few weeks back, BCCI chief Ganguly had hinted of adding Tendulkar to the setup. It now looks like the BCCI secretary Jay Shah is keen to have Tendulkar on board in some form. ALSO READ | 'He’s entertaining but...' - Brad Hogg opines on Pant, advises Dravid to not have a word with him As per a report in the Times of India, the BCCI secretary is keen to bring in the legendary cricketer in a supporting role, just like Dravid and Laxman. “He’s (Shah) been off the media radar but absolutely clear about what is the right thing to do. Little things that matter. For instance, appointing Rahul Dravid as head coach, ensuring someone of the stature of VVS Laxman gets associated with the National Cricket Academy (NCA). We’re told he’s now trying to convince Sachin Tendulkar to get into some role in the near future,” said BCCI members in the know, as per TOI. ALSO READ | Ind vs SA, 3rd Test: Virat Kohli surpasses head coach Rahul Dravid in elite list with watchful 50 on Day 1 Tendulkar remains a big name in Indian cricket. He retired from the highest level in late 2013 by amassing over 34,000 runs and scoring 100 international tons. It will be interesting to see if he joins his former teammates in taking up any supporting role in Indian cricket.

Jay Shah wants Master Blaster Sachin Tendulkar to take up supporting role in Indian cricket: Report

After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly, his four family members including daughter Sana Ganguly have been tested positive for COVID-19. Sana Ganguly and the other members are asymptomatic and is in isolation at their residence.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/bcci-postpones-ranji-trophy-and-other-domestic-tournaments-amid-covid-19-surge-442269">BCCI postpones Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments amid COVID-19 surge</a>

Ganguly's wife Dona Ganguly has been tested negative for COVID-19. Earlier, Ganguly was himself tested positive for COVID-19 and got admitted into Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital. He later got discharged on December 31, after testing negative for the Omicron variant. Ganguly was in a hemodynamically stable condition and was maintaining oxygen saturation of 99 per cent on room air.

After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly, his four family members including daughter Sana Ganguly have been tested positive for COVID-19.

After the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President Sourav Ganguly, his four family members including daughter Sana Ganguly have been tested positive for COVID-19. Sana Ganguly and the other members are asymptomatic and is in isolation at their residence. ALSO READ | BCCI postpones Ranji Trophy and other domestic tournaments amid COVID-19 surge Ganguly's wife Dona Ganguly has been tested negative for COVID-19. Earlier, Ganguly was himself tested positive for COVID-19 and got admitted into Woodlands Multispeciality Hospital. He later got discharged on December 31, after testing negative for the Omicron variant. Ganguly was in a hemodynamically stable condition and was maintaining oxygen saturation of 99 per cent on room air.

BCCI chief Sourav Ganguly's daughter, 3 other family members test positive for Covid-19

MS Dhoni retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020. While he had a stellar career for Team India, Dhoni continued to make heads turn by being very grounded as far as his lifestyle is concerned. Not many know that the 40-year-old drove Team India's bus during Australia's 2008 tour of India.

Yes, Dhoni drove the team bus without any qualms and the entire incident was narrated by former Indian Test specialist VVS Laxman. In his autobiography, Laxman revealed the whole episode and was stunned to see the national team's full-time captain drive the team bus during the Nagpur Test between India and Australia in 2008.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/i-want-to-say-something-to-the-boys-shastri-recalls-dhonis-test-retirement-and-how-it-shocked-team-india-440356">I want to say something to the boys: Shastri recalls Dhoni's Test retirement and how it shocked Team India</a>

“One of my abiding memories is of MS (Dhoni) driving the team bus to the hotel in Nagpur, during my 100th Test. I couldn’t believe my eyes — the captain of the team driving us back from the ground! It was his first Test in charge after Anil’s (Kumble) retirement, and he didn’t seem to have a care in the world. But he was like that, playful and grounded. MS never lost the joy, the playfulness. I have never met anyone quite like him,” Laxman wrote in his autobiography ‘281 and Beyond.’

For the unversed, Dhoni-led India won the Nagpur Test, in 2008, by 172 runs to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home (their first series win over Aussies in eight years) by 2-0. It was the 100th Test for Laxman and the last for Sourav Ganguly. Anil Kumble had retired after the third and penultimate Test, making Dhoni Team India captain in all forms of the game.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/srt-had-more-shots-as-compared-to-kohli-aakash-chopra-weighs-in-on-indian-test-captains-dismissals-442182">SRT had more shots as compared to Kohli: Aakash Chopra weighs-in on Indian Test captain's dismissals</a>

Laxman further also revealed that Dhoni was never someone who would lose his cool even when the national side was under-performing in the purest format, in away series, post the 2011 ODI World Cup win. "MS Dhoni’s calmness and equanimity are legendary. He had seen nothing but success until the tour of England in 2011. We had lost 4–0 in England and had already lost the first three Tests in Australia by the end of that year, and were heading for another whitewash. I was a mess, as were most of the guys, but MS was unbelievably composed. Not once did he lash out, and at no stage did he give the impression that he was frustrated or helpless,” Laxman further wrote.

Under Dhoni, India had been whitewashed in four-match Test series in England as well as in Australia in 2011.&nbsp;

MS Dhoni retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020. While he had a stellar career for Team India, Dhoni continued to make heads turn by being very grounded as far as his lifestyle is concerned.

MS Dhoni retired from international cricket on August 15, 2020. While he had a stellar career for Team India, Dhoni continued to make heads turn by being very grounded as far as his lifestyle is concerned. Not many know that the 40-year-old drove Team India's bus during Australia's 2008 tour of India. Yes, Dhoni drove the team bus without any qualms and the entire incident was narrated by former Indian Test specialist VVS Laxman. In his autobiography, Laxman revealed the whole episode and was stunned to see the national team's full-time captain drive the team bus during the Nagpur Test between India and Australia in 2008. ALSO READ | I want to say something to the boys: Shastri recalls Dhoni's Test retirement and how it shocked Team India “One of my abiding memories is of MS (Dhoni) driving the team bus to the hotel in Nagpur, during my 100th Test. I couldn’t believe my eyes — the captain of the team driving us back from the ground! It was his first Test in charge after Anil’s (Kumble) retirement, and he didn’t seem to have a care in the world. But he was like that, playful and grounded. MS never lost the joy, the playfulness. I have never met anyone quite like him,” Laxman wrote in his autobiography ‘281 and Beyond.’ For the unversed, Dhoni-led India won the Nagpur Test, in 2008, by 172 runs to win the Border-Gavaskar Trophy at home (their first series win over Aussies in eight years) by 2-0. It was the 100th Test for Laxman and the last for Sourav Ganguly. Anil Kumble had retired after the third and penultimate Test, making Dhoni Team India captain in all forms of the game. ALSO READ | SRT had more shots as compared to Kohli: Aakash Chopra weighs-in on Indian Test captain's dismissals Laxman further also revealed that Dhoni was never someone who would lose his cool even when the national side was under-performing in the purest format, in away series, post the 2011 ODI World Cup win. "MS Dhoni’s calmness and equanimity are legendary. He had seen nothing but success until the tour of England in 2011. We had lost 4–0 in England and had already lost the first three Tests in Australia by the end of that year, and were heading for another whitewash. I was a mess, as were most of the guys, but MS was unbelievably composed. Not once did he lash out, and at no stage did he give the impression that he was frustrated or helpless,” Laxman further wrote. Under Dhoni, India had been whitewashed in four-match Test series in England as well as in Australia in 2011.

THROWBACK: When Dhoni drove the team bus after succeeding Kumble to become India's all-format captain

On Monday (January 3), Indian cricket loyalists were in for a shock when they saw KL Rahul walk out for the coin toss for the second Test between India and South Africa, at The Wanderers, Johannesburg. Regular captain Virat Kohli -- who was set to appear in his 99th Test -- missed out due to upper back spasm and Rahul (who was promoted as the vice-captain in Rohit Sharma's absence for the series) took charge of the side.

Winning the toss, Rahul-led India opted to bat first at The Wanderers, J'burg. While the national side started well, at 36 for no loss, they were soon reduced to 49-3. From thereon, it was hardwork for in-form opener Rahul to get to his 13th half-century amid regular fall of wickets. Rahul eventually fell to Marco Jansen's well-executed short-pitched delivery for a well-made 133-ball 50.

Courtesy his knock, the 29-year-old Rahul entered an elite list -- featuring the likes of Kohli, Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, etc. -- to have scored 50 or more runs on captaincy debut. For the unversed,&nbsp;Vijay Hazare, who scored an unbeaten 164 in 1951, tops the list, followed by Sunil Gavaskar (116 runs) and Virat Kohli (115) on the second and third position respectively.&nbsp;Sourav Ganguly (84 runs), Chandu Borde (69), Hemu Adhikari (63) and Nari Contractor are also part of this unique club.

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/test-without-him-is-soulless-twitterati-reacts-as-virat-kohli-misses-india-vs-sa-2nd-test-in-jburg-441948">'Test without him is soulless' - Twitterati reacts as Virat Kohli misses India vs SA 2nd Test in J'burg</a>

Meanwhile, Rahul became the fifth Indian captain to surpass the 50-run mark while opening the innings. Little Master Gavaskar (25 times), Contractor (4 times), current head coach Rahul Dravid (2) and Virender Sehwag (2) are also part of the elusive panel.&nbsp;

ALSO READ |&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/sports/this-is-the-type-of-person-you-want-ex-pak-skipper-all-praise-for-rahul-dravid-for-backing-virat-kohli-441979">'This is the type of person you want...': Ex-Pak skipper all praise for Rahul Dravid for backing Virat Kohli</a>

Following Rahul's 50, Ashwin's 46 and some contributions from Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant and vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah took the team total to 202 all-out in the final session on Day 1 of the second Test.&nbsp;

On Monday (January 3), Indian cricket loyalists were in for a shock when they saw KL Rahul walk out for the coin toss for the second Test between India and South Africa, at The Wanderers, Johannesburg.

On Monday (January 3), Indian cricket loyalists were in for a shock when they saw KL Rahul walk out for the coin toss for the second Test between India and South Africa, at The Wanderers, Johannesburg. Regular captain Virat Kohli -- who was set to appear in his 99th Test -- missed out due to upper back spasm and Rahul (who was promoted as the vice-captain in Rohit Sharma's absence for the series) took charge of the side. Winning the toss, Rahul-led India opted to bat first at The Wanderers, J'burg. While the national side started well, at 36 for no loss, they were soon reduced to 49-3. From thereon, it was hardwork for in-form opener Rahul to get to his 13th half-century amid regular fall of wickets. Rahul eventually fell to Marco Jansen's well-executed short-pitched delivery for a well-made 133-ball 50. Courtesy his knock, the 29-year-old Rahul entered an elite list -- featuring the likes of Kohli, Sunil Gavaskar, Sourav Ganguly, etc. -- to have scored 50 or more runs on captaincy debut. For the unversed, Vijay Hazare, who scored an unbeaten 164 in 1951, tops the list, followed by Sunil Gavaskar (116 runs) and Virat Kohli (115) on the second and third position respectively. Sourav Ganguly (84 runs), Chandu Borde (69), Hemu Adhikari (63) and Nari Contractor are also part of this unique club. ALSO READ | 'Test without him is soulless' - Twitterati reacts as Virat Kohli misses India vs SA 2nd Test in J'burg Meanwhile, Rahul became the fifth Indian captain to surpass the 50-run mark while opening the innings. Little Master Gavaskar (25 times), Contractor (4 times), current head coach Rahul Dravid (2) and Virender Sehwag (2) are also part of the elusive panel. ALSO READ | 'This is the type of person you want...': Ex-Pak skipper all praise for Rahul Dravid for backing Virat Kohli Following Rahul's 50, Ashwin's 46 and some contributions from Hanuma Vihari, Rishabh Pant and vice-captain Jasprit Bumrah took the team total to 202 all-out in the final session on Day 1 of the second Test.

Ind vs SA, 2nd Test: Rahul joins elite list comprising Virat Kohli and Ganguly after 50 on captaincy debut

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