Reports: Virat Kohli suggested BCCI selection committee to remove Rohit Sharma as ODI vice-captain

Virat Kohli on Thursday (16 September) announced his decision to step down as a T20I skipper after the conclusion of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021. While it's not confirmed who will be Kohli’s successor, Indian vice-captain Rohit Sharma is likely to take over.

If Kohli stepping down was not enough, reports of Kohli requesting the BCCI selection committee to remove Rohit Sharma as limited-overs vice-captain have left the fans baffled. It has been reported that Kohli wants KL Rahul as the ODI vice captain while Rishabh Pant as the T20I deputy.

Earlier, the Indian captain took to his Instagram account to share his decision to step down. In the same post, he also thanked the BCCI, coaches, players, and fans for their support. Kohli also said it was a tough decision to make and he had consulted head coach Ravi Shastri and vice-captain Rohit Sharma before taking a call. 

Meanwhile, a source close to the BCCI made some shocking claims about Virat Kohli's decision to quit the T20I captaincy and said BCCI would have sacked Kohli if India had not done well in the T20 World Cup.

“Virat knew that he would have been removed from white ball captaincy. If the team doesn’t do well at the UAE World T20, he was gone for good as far as white-ball leadership is concerned. He just reduced a bit of pressure on himself as it would seem that he is there on his own terms. It might not happen for 50 overs if the performance in T20 hits a downward spiral,” a BCCI insider in the know of things was quoted as saying by Cricket Addictor.

The BCCI source further opined how Kohli is not available for players for communication off-field. 

“In case of MS (Dhoni), his room would be open 24×7, and players could just walk in, play the PS4, have a meal and let their hair down and if required talk cricket… Beyond the ground, Kohli is literally incommunicado.”