“Why Virat lied, nobody knows till today” - Chetan Sharma opens up on Kohli vs Ganguly tussle in sting operation

Team India chief selector Chetan Sharma has made some shocking revelations about the verbal tussle between former BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and ex-Indian captain Virat Kohli. He alleged that Kohli 'lied' during the explosive press conference he gave ahead of the South Africa tour.

Speaking to the media ahead of the Indian team’s departure to South Africa, Kohli contradicted then-BCCI president Ganguly’s claim that the former had been requested to reconsider his decision to quit as T20I captain.

He also claimed that he was informed of being sacked as ODI captain over the phone by Sharma only one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting team for the South Africa Test series.

In a sting operation conducted by Zee News, Sharma is heard claiming that Kohli lied about Ganguly and BCCI at the controversial press conference. He said:

"Sourav Ganguly said that think once, in what might have been a video conference. Virat would not have heard. There were nine people sitting there, not one person. All the people were there... I was also there. All the selectors and board members were there. Either Virat didn't listen or Virat did. I don't know. We don't know, Virat will know.”

Elaborating on the explosive press conference that opened a new can of worms in Indian cricket, the former pacer added that Kohli should not have brought up the topic, adding that he had no idea why Kohli 'lied'. Sharma continued:

“Why did Virat say? He was going to South Africa as a captain. The press conference is about the team. There was no need to bring this topic there. The truth was that there was talk. Eight to nine people were sitting and talk was happening. Ganguly had said (spoken to Kohli).

“Virat was lying. But why Virat lied, nobody knows till today. This is his personal matter. There was controversy in it - board versus player.”

Having openly challenged the might of the BCCI, it was no surprise that Kohli quit as Test captain as well once India lost the red-ball series in South Africa.

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“Virat Kohli felt he lost the captaincy because of BCCI President” - Chetan Sharma

Elaborating further on the Kohli vs Ganguly fight, Sharma went on to claim that Kohli felt he lost the captaincy because of the then BCCI chief. He stated that Kohli had a big ego and wanted to get back at Ganguly during the press conference. The 57-year-old said:

“The press conference ahead of the India vs South Africa series where Virat Kohli revealed that he was told 1.30 hours before the declaration that he will be leaving the captaincy was unnecessary. He just wanted to get back at Sourav that's why he did it.”

Incidentally, Ganguly was sacked as BCCI chief last year and was replaced by former India all-rounder Roger Binny.