‘Sourav Ganguly had no business to speak on behalf of selectors’ - Dilip Vengsarkar backs Virat Kohli in captaincy episode

The captaincy controversy in Indian cricket is likely to stay for a while. The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) took the cricket world by storm by sacking Virat Kohli as ODI captain earlier this month, giving the reins to Rohit Sharma. As if this announcement wasn’t sensational enough, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly stated that he ‘personally requested’ Kohli to not step down as T20I captain post the T20 World Cup 2021.

As the veteran cricketer didn’t agree to do so, he was sacked as ODI captain as well as the selectors wanted a common captain in white-ball cricket. Igniting the fire even further, Kohli made some sensational claims in a press conference before departing for the tour of South Africa.

He contradicted Ganguly’s claims, saying no such request was made. Instead, the selectors informed him about the decision only 90 minutes before the selection meeting on December 8. Reacting to the saga, former India cricketer Dilip Vengsarkar said the entire episode was unfortunate. He also called out Ganguly for speaking on the behalf of selectors.

Virat Kohli would have been hurt by the BCCI’s approach: Dilip Vengsarkar

“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,” Vengsarkar told the Khaleej Times.

Vengsarkar also stated Kohli would have been hurt by the BCCI’s approach and the way they dealt with the whole situation. “Ganguly spoke about the whole thing, obviously Virat wanted to make his case clear. I believe it should have been between the chairman of the selection committee and the captain. A captain is selected or removed by the selection committee, that’s not Ganguly’s jurisdiction at all,” said the former Indian selector.

“Yes, things should change now. Kohli, you have to respect him, he has done so much for the country, so much for Indian cricket. But how they dealt with him, it must have definitely hurt him,” he added.