Two days after Virat Kohli announced that he will step down as the T20 captain after the upcoming World Cup tournament in UAE, it has come to light that several senior players in the dressing room are miffed with the attitude of the ace cricketer, reported Telegraph.
Virat Kohli has been out of form for quite a long time and has not scored a century in the past 53 innings across Test, ODI or T20s. “His flailing form has affected his decision-making, which is taking a toll on his relationship with the players,” Telegraph claimed. Citing sources, the English daily informed that a senior player had complained to BCCI Secretary Jay Shah against Kohli for making him feel ‘insecure.’
Reportedly, Virat Kohli had accused the unnamed senior cricketer of showing ‘no intent’ during the World Test Championship final against New Zealand in Southampton. The source further told The Telegraph, “Kohli is losing control. He has lost respect and some of the players are not liking his attitude. He is no more an inspirational leader and he doesn’t earn the players’ respect. Some of them have reached their limits when it comes to dealing with him…That Kohli failed to play a big innings has also complicated the issue.”
Telegraph reported that Virat Kohli snapped at one of the coaches when he offered suggestions during practice session at the nets. “Don’t confuse me,” the ace batsman yelled in an aggressive tone. The source emphasised that Virat Kohli has been unable to handle his dismal performance well and its effect had started to reflect in his behaviour. BCCI has been mulling to reduce pressure off the shoulders of Kohli and provide adequate space for him to focus on his batting.
The source informed the English daily that the younger players in the team treat Rohit Sharma as an ‘elder brother’ and have reposed their trust in him. However, this has put the authority of Virat Kohli under challenge. “Virat understands that he no more calls the shots. His powers are on the wane and every move of his will be questioned. There’s no doubt that he is one of the best batsmen in world cricket. But you cannot let leadership burden your batting,” the source told the Telegraph.
Virat Kohli to step down as T20 captain after World Cup
In a statement released on his social media account on September 16, Kohli said, “I’ve decided to step down as the T20 Captain after this T20 World Cup in Dubai in October.” Citing a busy schedule and workload by paying three formats and regularly captaining for over five years, he said that he needed to give himself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Cricket Team in Test an ODI.
He said, “Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all three formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket.”
