Madan Lal: Why change when Virat Kohli is producing results?

India’s 1983 World Cupper S Madan Lal lashes out at selectors for sacking Virat Kohli as ODI skipper despite team doing well under his leadership

Sacking Virat Kohli as ODI captain despite his impressive record has baffled India’s 1983 World Cupper S Madan Lal. Kohli was on Wednesday, was replaced by Rohit Sharma as ODI captain. Kohli, who had stepped down as T20 captain after the World Cup in the UAE, had expressed the desire to lead the ODI and Test outfit. He still remains the Test captain, but wasn’t preferred to stay at the helm in the 50-over format.

“I don’t know what the selectors have thought about this, but if he [Kohli] is producing the right results then why [change him]? I can understand T20s [he stepped down as captain] because there is so much of cricket and he can concentrate on two other formats. But if you are successful and you are removed, it will of course pinch him,” Madan Lal told mid-day on Thursday. “I was thinking Kohli would have stayed [as captain] till the 2023 World Cup. It is very difficult to build a team, but easier to destroy,” he added.

‘It would lead to confusion’

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly on Thursday said the Chetan Sharma-led national selection committee felt that multiple leaders in the white-ball format would lead to confusion. “I don’t know [about confusion] but that’s what they [selectors] felt. That’s how this conclusion was arrived at—that let Rohit captain in white-ball and let Virat be the red-ball skipper,” Ganguly told PTI.

S Madan Lal

Madan Lal, who recently ended his term as BCCI’s all-important Cricket Advisory Committee’s chief, didn’t agree with the confusion theory. “I don’t understand why would there be confusion. Every captain has a different style, so confusion is for what. The style will anyway change in Test and limited-overs. Virat and Rohit have their own style of leading the teams. MS Dhoni too had his own style. At the international level, it is about professionalism and performing all the time,” said the former India coach.

Kohli is India’s most successful ODI captain and among the world’s fourth-best in terms of win-loss percentage (68.42 per cent) for a minimum of 50 matches as captain. Out of 95 ODIs, Kohli’s India have won 65 and lost 27 with one tied and two no results. Though Ganguly in the PTI interview said that Kohli’s record as ODI captain was considered, the selectors felt there can’t be two captains in white-ball formats.

BCCI late to thank Kohli

Nearly 24 hours later after sacking Kohli, the BCCI acknowledged his contribution as ODI captain in a tweet on Thursday: “A leader who led the side with grit, passion & determination. Thank you Captain @imVkohli.”

68.42
India’s win percentage under Virat Kohli in ODIs

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