Kohli: Was told I wouldn’t be ODI captain hour-and-a-half before SA Test squad was announced

India’s Test skipper contradicts Sourav Ganguly, says he “wasn’t told to reconsider” decision on T20I captaincy

“I was contacted one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting on December 8 for the Test series,” Kohli said. “There was no prior communication to me at all from when I announced the T20I captaincy decision until the eighth (of December), when I got a call before the selection meeting.

“When I decided to leave the T20I captaincy and approached the BCCI about my decision, it was received well – there was no offence or hesitation, I wasn’t told to reconsider it”

Virat Kohli

“When I decided to leave the T20I captaincy and approached the BCCI about my decision, it was received well,” Kohli said. “There was no offence or hesitation, I wasn’t told to reconsider it. It was received well; I was told it’s progressive and it’s (a step) in the right direction.

“Then I told them I’d like to continue in Tests and ODIs, unless the office bearers and selectors feel otherwise. My communication was clear in what I wanted to do. I gave them the option, that if they feel I shouldn’t (remain captain in Tests and/or ODIs), the decision is in their hands.”

Kohli didn’t shy away from expressing his disappointment with “things that happen on the outside”, but stressed that “nothing can derail me from being motivated to play for India”.

“To be prepared for a tour like this and to perform to the best of my abilities, nothing has, and nothing can derail me from that,” he said. “A lot of things that happen on the outside are not ideal and not how one expects them to be, but you have to understand you can only do so much as an individual and we have to keep thing in tight perspective and do things that are in your control.

“I’m focussed, mentally prepared, and excited to do the best I can for the team and make the team win.”