Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has made a big statement, saying that Virat Kohli's decision to step down as captain of the Test team could stem from the possibility that he might get sacked for a second time in just over a month.
Ahead of the South Africa tour, the BCCI had removed Kohli as India's ODI captain, which caused a huge uproar and controversy in Indian cricket with the star batsman being at the centre of it, and Gavaskar, who is 'not surprised' by the call, reckons the likelihood of something similar happening this time around as well could have played a part in Virat making the decision.
"I'm not surprised at all. I thought that it might have come at the presentation ceremony, but that would have looked like it has come out of a sense of anger having lost the series. So, I think a little bit of gap and the decision has come," Gavaskar said on India Today.
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"As a captain, I have experienced that series defeats overseas are not taken too kindly by the board and the cricket loving public or board officials. The captain is in danger of being sacked. That has happened in the past and I'm pretty certain that this could have happened this time around because this was a series that India was expected to win and win easily," he added.
{{/usCountry}}"As a captain, I have experienced that series defeats overseas are not taken too kindly by the board and the cricket loving public or board officials. The captain is in danger of being sacked. That has happened in the past and I'm pretty certain that this could have happened this time around because this was a series that India was expected to win and win easily," he added.
{{/usCountry}}India were favourites to win the recently-concluded Test series against South Africa, which ended on a losing note for them as the Men in Blue went down 1-2. After winning in Centurion, India were outplayed in Johannesburg and Centurion, extending Indian cricket's wait of registering a maiden Test series win in South Africa.
Gavaskar added that defeats, especially overseas isn't something the BCCI and its officials take well which is why Kohli could have foreseen his captaincy going away from him.
"There is every possibility of that, looking at what had transpired earlier on," Gavaskar said when asked if Kohli in a way pre-empted what was possible that the board would have sacked him because of the defeat against South Africa.
"Looking at the fact that he had been removed as ODI captain. Yes, having lost this series, that was always possible. If you don't win, what happens? Doesn't matter if he's been individually successful, in a team sport, the captain is the one where the buck stops."