Virat Kohli has insisted he was not asked to reconsider his decision to step down as India's T20I skipper and says he was not aware he might lose the ODI captaincy.
Kohli confirmed in September that he had decided to take a step back from leading India in the shortest format after the conclusion of the T20 World Cup.
However, he had agreed to stay on as India's ODI and Test captain, and remain available for selection in T20Is.
India failed to progress from the Super 12s in the World Cup, with Rohit Sharma named as captain for the subsequent T20 series against New Zealand.
But on December 8, Rohit was named India's new permanent white-ball captain.
The BCCI president, Sourav Ganguly, explained that the selectors felt there would have too much leadership within the white-ball squad had there been two captains for each of the formats.
Ganguly also claimed that Kohli had been asked to stay on as captain. However, the batsman has contradicted this statement.
"When I decided to leave the T20I captaincy and approached the BCCI about my decision, it was received well," Kohli told reporters.
"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, who is staying on as Test captain, also revealed he was only told of the BCCI's decision to replace him as ODI skipper an hour-and-a-half prior to the squad announcement for India's upcoming red-ball tour of South Africa.
"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 December 8, when I got a call before the selection meeting.
"The chief selector [Chetan Sharma] discussed with me the Test team, to which we both agreed, and before ending the call I was told the five selectors have decided I will not be the ODI captain, to which I replied, "okay, fine".
"In the selection call afterwards, we chatted about it briefly. That's what happened. There was no communication prior to that at all."
But Kohli is adamant the captaincy call will not impact his preparation for the South Africa Test series.
He added: "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.
"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."
Dr Tara Wilkinson-McLean joins ICC Future Leaders Programme
The Republic Bank Caribbean Premier League’s (CPL) Head of Partner Servicing, Dr Tara Wilkinson McClean has been selected to take part in the International Cricket Council (ICC) Future Leaders Programme and will be engaging in a number of in person and online sessions with other female cricket administrators from around the world over the next 10 months.
Barbados national Dr Wilkinson-McClean has been working with the CPL since 2013 in a number of roles dealing with the tournament’s commercial partners. She was recently promoted to the role of Head of Partner Servicing where she runs a team who deliver sponsorship assets.
Launched in 2021, the Future Leaders Programme has sought to address the underrepresentation of females in leadership positions within cricket by offering online mentorship opportunities for future leaders, pairing them with senior figures to promote and support their career development.
Building on the positive impact of previous editions, the 2024 offering is specifically tailored for female cricket administrators, who are set to benefit from an extended programme duration, where successful candidates will connect in a combination of face-to-face and online learning opportunities.
The course comprises two three-day in-person workshops, supported by project work, mentoring and online masterclasses delivered by former Australia captain and ICC Hall of Famer, Belinda Clark AO.
Pete Russell, Republic Bank CPL’s CEO, said: “Tara has been a hugely important part of the CPL team over the last decade and it is fantastic to see her selected for this hugely prestigious ICC initiative. The CPL is very proud of the fantastic female members on our team and it is pleasing to see the ICC investing in the further development of strong cricket administrators like Tara.”
Dr Tara Wilkinson-McClean, Republic Bank CPL’s Head of Partner Servicing, said: “Being selected for the ICC Cricket Future Leaders Programme is a huge honour. Connecting with like-minded women from various arenas on a similar trajectory and being exposed to global leaders in business and sport is a game changer. I would like to thank the ICC for giving me this opportunity and CPL for their overwhelming support for my participation.”
Turning the tide: Windies captain Powell cautiously optimistic about comeback in T20 series against England
Though facing an uphill task in their five-match T20 series against England, West Indies captain Rovman Powell is cautiously optimistic that they can produce a comeback to not only overturn a challenging 2-0 deficit but to go all the way in the series.
Powell’s sentiments served as a rallying cry of sorts as they stare down a must-win situation in the third encounter at the Darren Sammy Cricket Ground in St Lucia on Thursday to keep the series alive.
Still, Powell expressed confidence that the Caribbean setting, coupled with a few strategic changes, will bolster their fightback.
“St. Lucia is always a good place for us. It provides an opportunity for us to play good cricket, and the wicket is generally a good one, probably the best one in the Caribbean,” Powell said in a pre-game interview.
“The people of St Lucia always come out to support us, which is also good, and so we're looking forward to the next three games. Hopefully they can come out and support us, and we can deliver some good cricket,” he added.
After two tough matches in Barbados, which England won by eight wickets and seven wickets, respectively, Powell emphasized the significance of a renewed focus while also pointing to the need for every player to take personal accountability heading into the crucial contest.
“I think it’s a case of each guy reflecting on how things have gone so far from an individual perspective to see if we as individuals are bringing enough to the table, and then we try our best to try to put it together as a team. We have areas that definitely need work, but the guys are in good spirits. We had a good training session today, so we’re hoping to hit the ground running,” Powell explained.
St Lucia is not only familiar territory but also presents a new beginning, especially with the return of key pacer Alzarri Joseph from a two-match suspension.
Powell believes Joseph’s presence will fortify a bowling attack that has struggled in the opening games, as England easily chased down 182 and 158 in both games.
“If you should look at our bowling department, we really needed him in those games. So, it's important for him to come and hit the straps and hit the ground running. As a bowling group, we have areas where we need to control the power play because the middle overs generally take care of themselves, and he will come to bowl some of those overs in the backend,” he shared.
Despite the uphill battle, Powell cited the Caribbean side’s recent successes over the past 18 months as a reminder of their potential.
“It's a little uncomfortable being 2-0 to be honest; it's a position that we haven't found ourselves in in a long time, but it's an opportunity for us to show what we are made of as a T20 team,” Powell declared.
“England is a team that we have played quite often these days, and we have had good results against them. It's just unfortunate that Barbados wasn't good for us in terms of T20 cricket, but St Lucia provides a new opportunity for us to come out and play some good cricket,” the Jamaican reasoned.
Finally, Powell reiterated the importance of a victory on Thursday, not only to stay in the series but also to set the stage for an exhilarating weekend of cricket. The final two encounters are scheduled for Saturday and Sunday.
“It's a case of us getting back into the series; we just need a win, and once we get the win tomorrow, we can go from there. The guys are upbeat; even though we are 2-0 down, they are in a good frame of mind and ready to play good cricket,” the captain ended.
Tilak's unbeaten ton helps India take lead against South Africa
Tilak Varma smashed an unbeaten 107 as India went 2-1 up in their T20I series against South Africa, claiming a nail-biting victory in Wednesday's third match in Centurion.
Following their surprise defeat in Sunday's second match, the tourists bounced back to earn their 10th win in their last 12 outings in the format, putting them on the brink of a series triumph.
Tilak was the star of the show as he produced comfortably the best score of his T20I career, surpassing a knock of 55 versus Bangladesh last year in some style, while only facing 56 balls.
He hit eight fours and seven maximums to set South Africa a target of 220 for victory, with Abhishek Sharma scoring 50 from 25 deliveries in support before Keshav Maharaj broke their partnership in the ninth over.
Despite six of India's batsmen scoring 18 runs or fewer and four – Sanju Samson (0), Suryakumar Yadav (1), Rinku Singh (8) and Axar Patel (1) – being limited to single figures, the damage had largely been done already.
South Africa were then dropped to 84-4 within their first 10 overs as Varun Chakravarthy claimed the crucial wickets of Reeza Hendricks (12) and Aiden Markram (29).
Heinrich Klaasen's incredible 54 off 17 balls dragged South Africa back into contention, and they required 18 runs from four deliveries in a grandstand finish, but Arshdeep Singh trapped the hosts' dangerman lbw to secure India's victory.
Having fallen short of their target by just 11 runs, the Proteas must now win Friday's fourth match to salvage a 2-2 draw from the series.
Data Debrief: Big-hitting India on the brink
Tilak recorded a strike rate of 191.07 while Abhishek was at 200.00 as their early partnership powered India towards victory.
India have now hit over 200 sixes in T20I matches this calendar year, only previously surpassing that figure in the format in one previous year – recording 289 in 2022.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
