“Virat has given his side of the story” - Ravi Shastri thinks communication gap behind captaincy controversy

Former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri has opined that the controversy over Virat Kohli’s sacking as ODI captain could have been handled better with good communication. Shastri added that since Kohli has made his stand clear on the issue, it is important for BCCI President Sourav Ganguly to clarify his version of events as well.

A massive controversy erupted in Indian cricket after Kohli openly contradicted Ganguly at a press conference ahead of the Test team’s departure for South Africa. While the BCCI president had claimed that he had personally requested Kohli not to step down as T20 captain, the latter stated that no one from the board had approached him.

Kohli further said that he was informed about his removal as one-day captain 90 minutes before the selection meeting to pick the Test team for the series in South Africa that was held on December 8.

Reacting to the controversy, Shastri told The Indian Express:

“Virat has given his side of the story, it needs the board president to give his side of the story. With good communication, the situation could have been handled better.”

At the same time, Shastri admitted that the decision to make Rohit Sharma the ODI captain is the right one. However, he added that Kohli remains the best choice for the Test format. Shastri said:

“Virat without a shadow of doubt should be Test captain, look at what he has done, no captain in the world leads with that kind of passion. But once Virat said he didn't want to lead T20s, it opened for Rohit. He should be the white-ball captain.”

Praising Kohli, Shastri added that he sees a lot of himself in the Indian Test captain. The 59-year-old stated:

“I see a lot of myself in Virat - drive, hunger and self-confidence. My relationship with Virat was fantastic, two like-minded people going about their job.”

Kohli and Shastri formed a formidable captain-coach combination. The latter’s tenure with the Indian team, however, ended in a forgettable manner as the Men in Blue crashed out of the T20 World Cup in the Super 12 round.

“I see no residue” - Ravi Shastri on Sourav Ganguly

Shastri and current BCCI President Ganguly have taken digs at each other in the media in the past. Asked about the equation he shares with the former India captain, Shastri commented:

“I see no residue. Just events and you react to those events. That aside, we are cricketers. Both of us know the game. That does not mean we will agree on anything. I've interacted with Ganguly many times."

Some media reports have claimed that Shastri has been approached by one of the new IPL franchises for a coaching role. However, the 59-year-old stated that he is interested in coaching at the grassroots level.