The Indian team had a terrible ODI series against South Africa after the KL Rahul-led side faced a whitewash in the three-match ODI series. In the Test series also, Indian team could not produce a memorable show after the visitors conceded a 2-1 defeat in the three-match Test series.
Off-field matters
And to make the matters worse, Virat Kohli announced his decision to relinquish the Test captaincy, just a day after India's Test series defeat against the Proteas. The recent tussle between Kohli and the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has severely jolted the Indian cricket.
While talking about the current scenario in Indian cricket, former Pakistan fast bowler Shoaib Akhtar said that he sees “a rift” in the Indian team. He also believes that Kohli did not want to leave captaincy. According to Akhtar, a “situation was created” and because of it he had to leave the captaincy.
“I see a rift in this team. Important to see how the team will be handled. I don’t think Kohli quit because he wanted to, such a situation was created that he had to leave captaincy. There are a lot of reasons behind Kohli’s decision to leave Test captaincy, that I cannot say because of confidentiality,” Akhtar said on his YouTube channel.
Shocking defeat
Indian team’s defeat against South Africa in the Test and ODI series surprised many former cricketers and experts. The manner in which Indian team were defeated in the ODI series just appeared to be simply baffling to fans and followers.
Akhtar feels that Indian team’s recent performances have left the team “humiliating” and he does not think that “the Indian team should be losing” to this South African team in such a “demoralising manner.”
“The recent performances have left India humiliating. I don’t think the Indian team should be losing to such a South Africa team, that too in a demoralising manner.
“Moving ahead from this point, the BCCI, Management, captain and the rest of the players will have to regroup. The issues of unrest will have to be put to an end by the management. I didn’t see a combined effort by the team in South Africa,” the 46-year-old former pacer explained.
