Mumbai: Indian test captain Virat Kohli has stated that he was informed by the BCCI selectors that he won't be the ODI captain anymore just and a half hours before the Test squad for the South Africa series was announced.

Addressing a virtual press conference here on Wednesday, Mr Kohli has dismissed the rumour of rift between him and ODI captain Rohit Sharma.

He has not received any prior communication on the removal of his ODI captaincy from the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI)

Virat’s statement was completely contradicting the statement of BCCI President Sourav Ganguly. Mr. Ganguly had mentioned that he had personally spoken to Kohli about the decision to name Rohit Sharma as the new ODI Captain, the decision has been taken by the selectors Chetan Sharma.

Virat’s opinion clearly demonstrated that the lack of communication by the BCCI while informing the removal of him from ODI captaincy and his availability to play the ODI matches. Mr. Virat said that he is very much available to play ODI matches.

Ganguly had further stated that he was requested that Kohli continues as T20 captain for some more time, but Kohli contradicted that his decision of stepping down from T20 captaincy was well informed by the BCCI.

While Virat announced his decision of quitting T20 captaincy, Mr. Ganguly said that BCCI had requested Virat to not step down as the T20 skipper but obviously, he did not agree. The selectors then did not feel it to have two different captains for two white-ball formats.

Now Mr. Kohli said that “when I left the T20 captaincy, I had first approached BCCI and intimated them of my decision and laid down my point of view in front of the BCCI office-bearers.”

Virat further said that  "I gave the reasons why I wanted to quit T20 captaincy and my viewpoint was received very nicely. There was no offence, no hesitation and not for once was I told that 'you should not leave T20 captaincy'," Kohli said, in complete contradiction to what Ganguly had stated a few days earlier during the press conference.

"On the contrary, the BCCI called it a progressive step and in the right direction. At that time I had communicated that, yes I would like to continue in Tests and ODIs unless office-bearers and selectors think that I shouldn't carry on with this responsibility.

"I had clarified on my call and communication to BCCI was clear. I had given that option if office bearers and selectors think otherwise, then it's in their hands (their call)," he added.