Virat Kohli as captain was indeed responsible for India's World Cup loss, says Vinod Rai
CoA chief Vinod Rai has revealed that the blame of a major loss will be put on any team's captain and, as opposed to common belief, India skipper Virat Kohli was treated no differently as far as the World Cup semifinal loss is concerned. However, Rai believes captains shouldn't bear all the blame.
Since India were considered to be favourites to lift the World Cup title in England this year, the World Cup semifinal loss against New Zealand was held in heavy. The Virat Kohli-led men in blue brigade's defeat was considered as an upset and it was common assumption that Kohli wasn't held as much responsible as he should've been since the board “allowing the captain to decide everything”.
However, BCCI COA chief Vinod Rai rubbished all assumptions stating that it would be “incorrect” to say that no one held Kohli responsible for the World Cup defeat. “It’s good to have checks and balances. When a team performs badly, I don’t think it’s only the captain’s (responsibility). There are a lot of closed door discussions… To say that nobody held Virat Kohli responsible for the (World Cup) loss would be incorrect,” Rai told the Indian Express.
In fact, it has been a general opinion that Kohli is leading the management according to his wish ever since the rift with former head coach Anil Kumble. Vinod Rai was heavily questioned after Ravi Shastri was re-elected as India’s coach, a decision people think was taken by Kohli. The CoA chief has now opened up about the general theory and voiced what the truth is.
“We took charge on January 30, 2017. In April, when we happened to be in Hyderabad for the first match of the IPL season, Kumble’s contract was produced before me. Kumble’s contract, or rather selection as a coach, was for a two-year period. The person selected then did not find favour… So Kumble was selected, but he was given only a one-year tenure. Kumble’s contract did not have a clause for extension.
“The issue that came up was not so much about what happened in the dressing room… It was if we have to extend Kumble’s tenure, how do we do it? I was in favour of an extension if it was found appropriate by a certain committee. I said please follow the process. That’s all. And, what was the process? Call for applications, go through an interview process, and select the right person. You can call me ignoramus, but at the time I did not know what happened between the captain and the coach,” he added.
Rai also feels that Shastri as Indian team’s coach has achieved and proven enough to continue holding the position. “Now, again, I don’t know how many coaches would have been superior to Shastri, but at least he has managed to keep the team fighting fit, battle-ready and cohesive in every respect. So I think he performed very well as a coach.”
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