"This is definitely shocking" - Virat Kohli's coach Rajkumar Sharma on his ward's unceremonious removal as ODI skipper

Virat Kohli's coach Rajkumar Sharma has expressed shock at his ward's unceremonious removal as Team India's ODI skipper.

The BCCI announced that Rohit Sharma will replace Kohli as India's ODI skipper while sharing on social media the Test team selected for the South Africa tour. The former India limited-overs skipper, at his press conference yesterday, revealed that he had been informed of the decision just before the Test selection meeting.

During a discussion on India News, Rajkumar Sharma was asked about Chetan Sharma letting Virat Kohli know of his removal just one-and-a-half hours before the selection meeting. He responded:

"This is definitely shocking and this is news to me as well that Virat Kohli said something like this in the press conference. What comment should I give, about why it has happened and why such a thing should not have happened."

The former first-class cricketer also declined to comment on whether Virat Kohli's removal was on performance grounds. Sharma said:

"I would not like to comment too much on this. I will only want to say that they are the authority and whatever decision they have taken, they would have taken it thoughtfully and my statement about this does not hold any significance, whether they have done right or wrong."

Virat Kohli was unlikely to be allowed to continue as India's ODI skipper once he gave up the T20I captaincy. It would have been difficult for the Indian team to operate with two different skippers in the white-ball formats.

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"This is something unusual I have heard" - Rajkumar Sharma on Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly's contradictory statements

Virat Kohli had pre-announced his decision to give up Team India's T20I captaincy after the T20 World Cup

Rajkumar Sharma was also surprised by Virat Kohli and Sourav Ganguly's contradictory statements about the BCCI having requested the former not to relinquish the T20I captaincy. He elaborated:

"This is something unusual I have heard, I didn't see Virat's press conference as well. This communication gap should not have happened. According to me, there should be transparency between them and I don't know why this has happened or why such a communication gap was there."

The 56-year-old also highlighted that reports of Virat Kohli asking for a break during the ODI series against South Africa are also perplexing. Sharma reasoned:

"Virat never wants to step aside from playing, he is always ready to play. This news was certainly surprising that he has asked for leave because of his daughter's birthday. Her birthday is on the 11th and at that time he will be playing the Test match."

Rajkumar Sharma concluded by stating that all such rumors are not good for Indian cricket and that the side should rather concentrate on registering a maiden Test series win in South Africa.