'Virat himself didn't want to captain Test cricket' - Sourav Ganguly
Defeat at the hands of Australia in the final of the World Test Championship (WTC) at The Oval has reopened captaincy debates in Indian cricket. With India losing the ultimate finale in London, voices from certain corners has led to a negative image of Rohit Sharma the skipper.
While head coach Rahul Dravid has been truly leading the decision-making from behind the scenes, Rohit has fallen under the scanner and received criticism as the captain of India for not being able to inspire his troops in ending the longstanding ICC trophy jinx.
Under Rohit, India have missed out on the semifinal of the Asia Cup 2022, failed to reach the final of the T20 World Cup last year and now comprehensively lost the WTC 2021-23 mega encounter to Australia. In retrospect of consecutive defeats, specifically in Tests, a debate has regathered steam if the change of captaincy from Virat Kohli to Rohit was ever the correct one.
When the question was presented to former skipper and ex BCCI president Sourav Ganguly, he insisted once again Kohli's departure from the top job early last year was a voluntary move and that the batting great didn't want to continue his successful tenure at the helm of affairs.
Ganguly reopens on Kohli's Test captaincy exit
Speaking to Sports Today after India's loss in the WTC final, Ganguly reiterated it was solely Virat Kohli's decision to relinquish the Test match captaincy and the board only responded to the change by appointing Rohit Sharma as the new skipper.
Notably, Ganguly was in the midst of controversy and faced accusations of manipulating the whole captaincy shenanigan to fasten Kohli's ouster from the captaincy mantle. But the former captain continues to dispel the word on the outside about his relationship with the modern-day master.
"It's a selector's job at the end of the day but how does social media influence? Virat himself didn't want to captain Test cricket two years ago," Ganguly said.
Ganguly also backed the Rohit-Dravid duo to make one final amends for the series of marquee losses by clinching victory in the 2023 World Cup at home in October-November, breaking the decade-long drought of the elusive ICC trophy.
"If you ask me who should be and is and will be India's captain and coach? Rohit and Rahul that's the right way of all," he said. "Absolutely, at least till the World Cup this will continue."
"Well I don't know what's in Rohit's mind after the World Cup and what he wants to do. At the moment the coach and captain are the two best for India and I wish them all the luck."