Ganguly should have learnt from his own example and spoken to Kohli much earlier, says Kirti Azad

India are scheduled to tour South Africa from December 26 for three Tests and three ODIs. Indian cricket is wrapped in a controversy around Kohli’s white-ball captaincy and reports surfaced of an alleged rift between him and Rohit. In a pre-departure press conference before the South Africa series, Kohli said that he was informed about his sacking from ODI captaincy just 90 minutes before during a meeting for Test squad selection and that there was no advance communication. He also stated that his decision to quit T20I captaincy was "recieved well" by the BCCI.

However, that contradicted what the BCCI president Sourav Ganguly had said a few days earlier, of him having requested Kohli not to step down from the role. The series of events prompted quite a few discussions and debates among experts and fans alike.

"I remember how Bishan Bedi was dethroned, how Sunil Gavaskar was dethroned. Venkataraghavan was in his flight and when he landed, he was replaced as captain. At least, Sourav should have realised through his own experience," Azad told News18.

"I feel that it should have been done in a more proper manner. BCCI should have been a little more professional on a cricketing front and with Sourav at the helm, especially when a former captain had tweeted about a rift, a speculation that had been going on. These things should not come out in the public and a captain who has given so much, Virat Kohli, should have been informed well in advance," he concluded.