'It seems there's a big communication gap' - Former India selector Sandeep Patil feels BCCI and Virat Kohli should be on same page

Indian skipper, Virat Kohli’s decision to step down from the role of captaincy in the T20I format after the conclusion of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup has divided the experts. While Kohli’s wish to relinquish the post is widely lauded by all, who will be his successor in the shortest format for India, is what the experts and critics are thinking.

The BCCI is yet to announce the leader but many former India cricketers feel the captaincy should go to Rohit Sharma. Currently, he is also the team’s designated white-ball vice-captain in both formats.  But if certain reports are anything to by, then Kohli had suggested the names of KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant for the role of vice-captaincy in the ODI and T20I format.

Former India cricketer Sandeep Patil feels there is a communication gap between the board and the skipper. “It seems that there’s a big communication gap between BCCI and Virat. You can’t have Virat say one thing and the BCCI another,” Patil, a member of India’s 1983 World Cup-winning side, told Times of India.

In his official Instagram post, Kohli initially thanked BCCI, coaches, teammates, and fans for their support throughout the journey. Later in the same post, he mentioned workload management as the primary reason to step down from the shortest format.  “This is purely Virat’s decision, and the BCCI should just accept it,” Patil said.

Patil concluded by saying that Rohit Sharma is an apt choice to be made the next leader in the T20 format. “I feel that he’s (Rohit) a fit choice to replace Virat as the T20 captain,” he said.

The decision taken by Virat Kohli was made keeping the future roadmap in mind: Sourav Ganguly

Kohli also mentioned how he arrived at this tough decision while speaking with BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah. The former India captain praised Kohli’s contribution to Indian cricket and thanked him for his spectacular achievements in the shortest format of the game. He also said Kohli took this decision keeping the future roadmap in mind.

“Virat has been a true asset for Indian Cricket and has led with aplomb. He is one of the most successful captains in all formats. The decision has been made keeping in mind the future roadmap. We thank Virat for his tremendous performance as the T20I Captain. We wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup and beyond and hope that he continues to score plenty of runs for India,” he said.