Kohli: ‘No problem at all between me and Rohit’

Acknowledges that India’s failure to win a global event under him could have led to his removal as short-format captain

“My responsibility is to push the team in the right direction, something that I’ve always looked to do even before I became captain,” Kohli, said in press conference on Wednesday. “That mindset has never changed and will never change.

“Rohit is a very able captain, tactically very sound. We’ve seen that in the games he’s captained for India and in the IPL [with Mumbai Indians] as well. So along with Rahul bhai, who is a very balanced coach and great man-manager, both will have my absolute support and my contribution in whatever vision they set for the team.

“I will be there to support that 100% and continue to be a guy who can push the team in the right direction going forward in ODIs and T20Is.”

“I’ve clarified previously also – I’m tired of clarifying because it’s asked repeatedly,” he said. “I can say with guarantee that any action of mine, any communication, won’t be to put the team down till I play cricket. That’s my commitment to Indian cricket.”

Kohli’s removal as ODI captain brought an end his five-year tenure at the helm in the format. While his record makes for excellent reading – of the 60 captains to lead in 50 or more men’s ODIs, only three have a better win-loss record – India failed to win an ICC tournament under him.
They finished runners-up at the 2017 Champions Trophy and were losing semi-finalists at the 50-over World Cup in 2019. In Kohli’s only T20 World Cup as captain, in October-November in the UAE, India crashed out after the group stage following back-to-back losses to Pakistan and New Zealand.

Kohli acknowledged that those results could have prompted the BCCI’s decision to replace him.

“I can understand why – the reason, we haven’t won an ICC tournament,” he said. “Whether the decision they took is right or wrong, there’s no debate. It’s a logical decision which I understand. The events that transpired and the way I was communicated, I’ve told you.

“About captaincy, one thing I can say is, I’ve been honest to the responsibility and done it to the best of my ability. That’s my assessment of my limited-overs captaincy. The batting, when you know you’ve been doing well at the international level, you know how to perform. Those things won’t go away from you. It’s about understanding your roles.”

Kohli is currently ranked seventh, second and 11th in the ICC rankings for batters in Tests, ODIs and T20Is respectively, and averages over 50 in all three formats. But he hasn’t scored a century since November 2019, a statistic that has been of some concern to some observers. Could not being white-ball captain free him up as a batter?

“Well, I can’t comment if me not being captain will leave a positive impact on my batting, those things no one can predict,” he said. “I have taken a lot of pride in performing as a captain for the team and I’ve done the best that I could. I think what I know is my motivation levels to perform won’t dip at all, I will always be prepared and eager to perform in the same manner.”