Virat Kohli backed to continue as India captain in all three cricket formats

Published September 14, 2021
India's captain Virat Kohli holds his wedding ring as he celebrates scoring his century on the second day of the first Test cricket match between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England on August 2, 2018. — AFP/File
India's captain Virat Kohli holds his wedding ring as he celebrates scoring his century on the second day of the first Test cricket match between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England on August 2, 2018. — AFP/File

Virat Kohli will continue to captain India in all three formats, a top national cricket board official said on Tuesday, after speculation that the batting great could be replaced as skipper for limited-overs games.

Kohli's recent sketchy form with the bat has led to reports that changes could be made after the T20 World Cup, which begins next month in the United Arab Emirates.

But Kohli received a vote of confidence from Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Jay Shah.

“There is no such proposal [to replace Kohli] and the team is led by Virat and we are backing him,” said Shah.

“We are sensitive to the fact that such a proposal is not in the interest of the Indian team when it will take part in a World Cup,” Shah told website Cricbuzz.

Indian media have reported that opening batsman Rohit Sharma could take over as Twenty20 and 50-over captain and that the change had been discussed by the BCCI.

“As long as a team is performing, the question of [a] change in captaincy doesn't arise,” Shah was reported as saying by the Indian Express newspaper.

Kohli led India to a landmark Test series win in Australia in January and they were leading 2-1 in England when the fifth and final Test was controversially cancelled last week because of a coronavirus outbreak in the tourists' camp.

The Indian team has not lost a Twenty20 series under Kohli, but they have failed to win either the 50-over Champions Trophy, World Cup or T20 World Cup since he became white-ball captain in 2017.

Shah also confirmed that the Indian team has offered to play two extra T20 matches in England next July in place of the cancelled Test.

The England board suffered huge financial losses from the refusal of Indian players to take part because of coronavirus fears.

“Instead of three T20Is, we will play five T20Is. Alternately, we will be willing to play a one-off Test as well. It is up to them to choose either of the offers,” said Shah.

India pulled out of the final Test at Old Trafford last week after head coach Ravi Shastri and other support staff contracted the virus and had to be isolated.

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly said on Monday that India was willing to reschedule the final Test as part of next year's series.

Opinion

Editorial

Brewing catastrophe
Updated 19 Jun, 2025

Brewing catastrophe

If Mr Trump makes the mistake of plunging into the fight on Israel’s behalf, the world will enter very dangerous territory.
Pension bill
19 Jun, 2025

Pension bill

IT is, indeed, a worrying conundrum. The federal government’s annual pension burden now exceeds its fiscal space...
Abandoned Karachi
19 Jun, 2025

Abandoned Karachi

THE explosive mix of decay, institutional apathy and corruption has, once again, placed Karachi among the bottom ...
Spread of hate
Updated 18 Jun, 2025

Spread of hate

HATE speech is not confined to words; in fact, there is a causal link between hateful rhetoric and real-world...
Big challenges
18 Jun, 2025

Big challenges

BALOCHISTAN’S Rs1.028tr budget, featuring a public development investment of Rs245bn and provincial surplus of...
Rampant disinformation
Updated 18 Jun, 2025

Rampant disinformation

WITH the arrival and proliferation of digital media, the creation of information is now a decentralised function,...