'Have they won it now?' - Former Pakistan skipper slams BCCI for sacking Virat Kohli as captain after T20 WC

A lot transpired in India's senior men's cricket team post their disappointing campign in the 2021 T20 World Cup. While Ravi Shastri-led support staff resigned, Virat Kohli had already announced the decision to step aside from T20I captaincy post the World Cup. However, Kohli was then sacked as ODI captain by the BCCI, in early December, before he also resigned from the top post in Tests. 

Thus, the baton was passed to Rohit Sharma as he slowly took over as the full-time captain in early 2022. While Rohit and Rahul Dravid, Shastri's successor, revamped the team and changed India's playing style, being more aggressive with the bat, India went into the T20 World Cup 2022 edition as the No. 1 ranked side and one of the top contenders.

India topped their group in the Super 12 round, however, they bowed out in the semi-finals with a heavy ten-wicket defeat at the hands of eventual winners England. After India's T20 WC campaign, in Australia, former Pakistan skipper Salman Butt has taken a jibe at BCCI for sacking Kohli as captain and made a big claim.

Speaking on his YouTube channel, Butt opined, "When they had sacked Kohli, there was no valid reason for that. The reason was that he did not win an ICC trophy. How many captains have actually won the ICC trophy? Many have spent their entire career without it. Ab jeet liye? (Have they won it now)? He was a quality captain. He wasn't the only reason why the team had lost. It is not that the team has drastically improved now. If it was all about winning then it's not that Dhoni can't play in the T20s."

Also read: From Ireland's delight to Kohli's dazzle: Top moments from T20 WC 2022 tournament

Butt further added, "The format itself is so fickle and World Cups are happening so frequently and then you have various leagues going on in between. And above that if you have someone who is fit, ready to go and can lead you tactically then why not? Grooming can happen in bigger formats as well. But again it's all about their mindset."

Currently, Rohit and many regulars such as Kohli, KL Rahul, etc. aren't part of India's white-ball tour of New Zealand post the T20 WC. Hardik Pandya is leading the Men in Blue in the three T20Is versus NZ and many reports suggest that BCCI is looking at him as the next T20I skipper, succeeding the 35-year-old Rohit keeping in view the 2024 T20 WC.