Virat Kohli 'refused' to step down from ODI captaincy: Reports

Virat Kohli was given the choice to voluntarily step-down from India's ODI captaincy but he 'refused' to do so. It prompted the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to take the matter into their own hands by relieving him of his duties, news agency PTI reported on Wednesday.

The claim comes just hours after the BCCI, in a succinct social media post, announced Rohit Sharma as Team India's new ODI skipper. The PTI report said Virat Kohli was always going to lose his ODI captaincy after he decided to step down from the T20I leadership ahead of the T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman earlier this year.

The BCCI apparently tried to give the long-time captain an honorable exit route and offered him 48 hours to make the announcement himself. But the 33-year-old turned down the offer, potentially 'daring' the home board to sack him, which it did.

Virat Kohli stepped down from T20I leadership to manage his heavy workload, paving the way for Rohit Sharma to take over in the shortest format. At the time, he had clearly stated his keenness to lead India in the 2023 ODI World Cup.

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But since then, reports have been rife about Sharma getting the reins of the ODIs as well, because of a popular opinion that split-captaincy in the two limited-overs formats won't work.

There have also been mumblings about players in the dressing room being unhappy about Virat Kohli's alleged "lack of communication" with them. His relationship with some of the coaching staff members, including Ravi Shastri, has also come under the scanner, albeit without any solid confirmation.

PTI quoted a former member of the Indian cricket team claiming that some team members had "trust issues" with the captain. He said:

"The biggest problem with Virat has always been trust issues. He speaks about clear communication but where he had lost respect as a leader is lack of communication."

Meanwhile, the BCCI's lack of communication concerning the bombshell decision has also come under criticism from fans. Even if there was friction between the board and the skipper, an announcement as big as this, without any statement from selectors or the board, has assured but a fertile ground for rumors.

The road ahead for Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma

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Virat Kohli will continue to lead in the Test format where, despite Rohit Sharma getting the vice-captaincy, there is no obvious replacement for the former yet.

The duo's 'new' journey will begin on December 26 when India take on South Africa in a three-Test series followed by an equal number of ODIs, which will be Rohit Sharma's first assignment as full-time captain in the 50-over format. While internal communication will once again hoard the spotlight, Rahul Dravid's role will also be critical.