"Virat Kohli decided to leave as he felt he wasn't given the respect he deserves" - Saba Karim

Saba Karim believes the mishandling of Virat Kohli's white-ball captaincy by national selectors could have prompted him to resign as Test captain. He feels that the whole saga could have been avoided by better communication between the selectors and the champion cricketer.

Speaking on YouTube channel Khelneeti, Karim suggested that Kohli might have pre-meditated his decision to relinquish the Test captaincy after the South Africa Tour. He opined that the player's unceremonious sacking as ODI skipper could have influenced his decision to step down from the longer format as well.

Karim also pointed out how the 33-year-old deserved to be given a lot more respect, as he has contributed significantly towards the team over the years. He reckoned that this could be the reason for Kohli's sudden resignation.

The former Indian wicketkeeper said:

"Virat Kohli had made up his mind to leave the captaincy after the South Africa tour. I feel that the issue has been mishandled. Things would have been smoother if the selectors had communicated their decision to him in a better manner. We do not have a captain ready for Tests and Kohli should have continued. But he decided to leave as he felt he wasn't given the respect he deserves."

Virat Kohli sent shockwaves across the cricketing world on Saturday, January 15, by revealing that he would be stepping down as captain of the Indian Test side. The right-handed batter's announcement came just a day after the team's unexpected Test series defeat against South Africa.

"Virat Kohli's exit could be a blessing in disguise for Rahul Dravid" - Saba Karim

Karim mentioned that with Virat Kohli's exit, head coach Rahul Dravid now has an opportunity to build a team. With a new captain coming in, a number of changes are expected, as per the cricketer-turned-commentator.

He also predicted that there will also be several changes in the line-up after the recent developments as Dravid looks to rebuild the team with a new leader. Here's what he said:

"Virat Kohli's exit could be a blessing in disguise for Rahul Dravid. He will be able to build a team alongside the new skipper. This could also mean that a number of changes are on the cards."

In the same video, ex-cricketer Nikhil Chopra said Kohli can now completely focus on his batting after his captaincy resignation. He stated that the senior batter is also not one to throw "tantrums" to make things more difficult for the coach.

"Virat Kohli will not be an issue for Rahul Dravid. He will not throw any tantrums. Whatever was happening behind the scenes is coming to an end. Now he can fully concentrate on scoring big runs."

Kohli will next be seen in action in the three-match ODI series against the Proteas in South Africa. With Rohit Sharma ruled out with a hamstring injury, KL Rahul has been appointed as captain for the assignment. The 1st ODI will be played on Wednesday, January 19.