N Srinivasan stopped Virat Kohli’s promotion as Team India skipper: Ex-team selector

Mumbai: Had it not been for N Srinivasan, Virat Kohli could have replaced MS Dhoni as Team India skipper immediately after India’s 4-0 drubbing at the hands of Australia in 2012.

According to reports, Raja Venkat, who was a part of the selection committee then, said that had N Srinivasan not vetoed, Virat Kohli would have taken over from MS Dhoni as Indian cricket skipper following the disastrous tour of Australia. He added that the selection committee also felt there were factions in the team which lacked motivation.

The former selector wrote in his column for Bengali daily ‘Ebela’, “It was a four-Test series in Australia in 2011-12 and after India had lost the first three matches, we decided that a change of guard was necessary.”

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He added, “Mohinder Amarnath and Narendra Hirwani (then selectors from North Zone and Central Zone respectively) had accompanied the team Down Under and upon their return they reported that there were several factions within the team. Team spirit had hit rock bottom. We wanted someone who could restore unity in the team. Virat was our choice, for he was not into any faction and had also brilliantly led North Zone to the 2010-11 Deodhar Trophy title. Before that he had impressed as the captain of India Under-19 team.”

It is learnt that 6he selectors were in favour of appointing Kohli to lead India. But N Srinivasan, who was the BCCI president then and without whose approval team on tour could not be announced, ruled out the change.