'If Virat Kohli is insecure with this, then so are other players': Harbhajan pinpoints India's 'small setback' in SA

Hosts South Africa came from behind to take the Test contest 2-1, which was followed by KL Rahul-led Indian unit getting blanked 3-0 in the ODI series.

Virat Kohli stepping down from the Test captaincy of the Indian team created a huge uproar, given the fact that the 33-year-old cricketer's move was preceded by him getting sacked from ODI leadership. Kohli earlier had also relinquished the T20I captaincy, which seems to have kindled the leadership overhaul in Indian cricket.

India's Virat Kohli  (PTI)

BCCI president Sourav Ganguly revealed that him and the board members had requested Kohli to reconsider his decision in T20I format, however, the latter denied having any communication, adding that he was informed about the ODI captaincy removal 90 minutes before the team selection meeting. It all led to the captaincy saga that saw Kohli bringing the curtain down on his remarkable captaincy sojourn in the Test format.

Former India spinner Harbhajan Singh has also weighed in on Kohli's decision to quit Test captaincy midway during the South Africa tour, saying that the development was a small setback for the team. "Virat Kohli quitting Test captaincy... I think the result had a huge impact. Many people think about what happened.

If Virat Kohli is insecure with this, then other players also are. What are the reasons behind him quitting captaincy, only he will know. But I feel quitting captaincy during the tour gave a small setback to the team for sure," Harbhajan told Sports Tak.

India's tour of South Africa started on a positive note where they won in Centurion, taking a 1-0 lead in the Test series. But the hosts came from behind to take the contest 2-1, which was followed by KL Rahul-led Indian unit getting blanked 3-0 in the ODI series.

India missed out on the first-ever Test series win in South Africa and Harbhajan feels it was the "biggest chance" for the tourists to defeat the Proteas in their own backyard. "It wasn't expected what happened in South Africa. Team India went there and I thought it was a good opportunity to defeat South Africa in their own backyard because they are known to have a very strong team; it used to be.

"But this Indian team lost to a team which wasn't that strong. I don't think they have many famous players and if you see their bowlers, they are not that great," Harbhajan further said.

"After losing the series, even Team India must be thinking that they lost a good opportunity as it was their biggest chance. If you see the SA team, they don't have AB de Villiers, neither Faf du Plessis nor Dale Steyn and Jacques Kallis. So it was a big chance missed by Team India," he added.

India will next lock horns with West Indies in three ODIs and three T20Is, starting February 6.