India Test captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday asserted that he will play in the upcoming ODI series in South Africa, putting to rest speculations about his availability and his equation with newly-appointed white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma.
“I was and I am available for selection all the time. I never communicated with BCCI asking for rest. I am available for the ODI series in South Africa, and was always available,” Kohli said during the pre-departure press conference before the tour of South Africa.
“This question should be asked to people who are writing about these things and their sources. As far as I am concerned, I was always available. I have not had any communication with the BCCI that I want to rest. There were few things that came out in the past as well where it was said that I was attending some events or something which is absolutely not true either. To me the people writing these are not credible. I am available for selection for ODIs in South Africa and I was always keen to play.”
Shortly before the T20 World Cup got underway in the UAE, Kohli had announced his decision to step down as India’s T20I captain after the tournament. It was then announced that Rohit Sharma will be taking over in both white-ball formats going forward, when the Test squad was announced for South Africa.
India will play three Tests against South Africa, starting December 26, followed by as many ODIs in January.