Sourav Ganguly: I like Virat Kohli’s attitude, but he fights a lot

Even as reports of rifts with the Indian Test captain rages on, BCCI President Sourav Ganguly has come out to release a controversial statement about him during an event in Gurgaon.

While attending an event in Gurgaon, Ganguly had to counter a question on the player whose attitude he liked best where he cited Virat Kohli, with a clause that he “fights a lot”. 

“I like Virat Kohli’s attitude but he fights a lot,” Ganguly said if ABP Live reports from the event are to be believed.

What happened between Ganguly, BCCI and Kohli?

Ganguly and Kohli’s not-so-private falling out reached a pinnacle last week when during the press conference before the South Africa Tour, Kohli denied Ganguly’s claim that he had asked Kohli to not give up T20I captaincy.

“At the end of the selection call, I was told I won’t be the captain and I said okay. After the meeting we had a brief chat and that’s it. I was not communicated at all (about the captaincy change,” Kohli said of giving up ODI captaincy in the press conference, also stating that he wasn’t asked to continue as T20I captain at the time he informed BCCI of the decision.

Ganguly had earlier said in an interview with News18 that he personally requested Kohli to continue as T20I captain.

“I personally requested him (Kohli) not to give up T20 captaincy. Obviously, he felt the workload. Which is fine, he has been a great cricketer, he has been very intense with his cricket. He has captained for a long period of time and these things happen. Because I have captained for a long period of time; therefore, I know,” Ganguly said.

The latest statement has come at a time fans are searching for more information on what happened between the skipper and BCCI President. With Rohit Sharma set to take over limited-overs captaincy, Kohli’s unceremonious dumping as captain in ODIs hasn’t stood well with his fans.

Ganguly, meanwhile, has made headlines with BCCI’s attitude towards Kohli, lacking the basic courtesy to inform him of the decision ahead of the selection call at the end of which he was informed of the board’s decision to sack him as captain in ODIs.

Responding to Kohli’s press conference statements, Ganguly had said that “I have got nothing to say. We will deal with it, leave it to the BCCI.” Although rumours of a press release and chief selector Chetan Sharma attending a presser did the rounds, nothing happened and all we have had so far is eerie silence from the governing body.