List of Indian cricketers removed from captaincy

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List of Indian cricketers removed from captaincy: In Indian cricket, captaincy isn't just a responsibility, but a symbol of emotion and power. Many great players have held the position over the years, but few have held it for long. From Sourav Ganguly to Rohit Sharma, Indian cricket history has seen numerous occasions when a captain has been removed abruptly or amid controversy. Here, learn about five Indian captains who were stripped of their captaincy for one reason or another.

List of Indian Cricketers Stripped of Captaincy

5. Sachin Tendulkar

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Reason for leaving the captaincy: Focus on batting and poor results

Sachin Tendulkar, known as the 'God of Cricket', captained the Indian team twice, but both times his tenures were disappointing.

• He first assumed the captaincy in 1996, but resigned in 1997 due to the team's consistently poor performance.
• He took over the captaincy for the second time in 1999, but due to the defeat on the 2000 tour of Australia and his personal poor performance with the bat, he again resigned.

Sachin later admitted that captaincy affected his batting, and he decided to free himself from the pressure of captaincy so that he could fully concentrate on his batting.

4. Anil Kumble

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Reason for leaving captaincy: Need for change and lack of board support

India's legendary spinner Anil Kumble was appointed Test captain in 2007 after Rahul Dravid's resignation. Kumble's tenure was brief but respectable. He led the team to a historic victory in Australia. However, he abruptly relinquished the Test captaincy in 2008.

It is said that Kumble felt the need for change in the team, but he did not receive the support he had hoped for from the then-team management and board. He resigned, saying he wanted to make way for a new generation of captains, and was replaced by Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Also Read: Kagiso Rabada picks the 5 most dangerous batsmen in world cricket

3. Sourav Ganguly

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Reason for being stripped of captaincy: Dispute with coach Greg Chappell and poor form

The story of Sourav Ganguly, popularly known as 'Dada', losing the captaincy is one of the darkest chapters in Indian cricket. Ganguly taught aggression to Indian cricket and taught the team to win on foreign soil. However, in 2005, his relationship with coach Greg Chappell began to deteriorate.

Chappell sent a confidential report against Ganguly to the board, leading to a growing controversy in the dressing room. Based on poor personal form, he was first removed as captain and then dropped from the team. The decision to remove Ganguly from captaincy is considered one of the most political and controversial decisions in Indian cricket.

2. Virat Kohli

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Reason for being stripped of captaincy: Policy of having different captains for T20Is and ODIs

The captaincy controversy involving Virat Kohli, one of the most successful captains in Indian cricket history, has been much talked about.

• T20 captaincy: Kohli himself decided to step down from the T20I captaincy after the 2021 T20 World Cup.
• ODI captaincy stripped: Soon after, the selectors removed him from the captaincy of the ODI team. The then BCCI President, Sourav Ganguly, argued that there could not be two different captains in white-ball formats.

This incident led to a major leadership crisis in Indian cricket, and the end of Virat's captaincy was quite controversial.

1. Rohit Sharma

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Reason for stripping him of the captaincy: Long-term planning for the 2027 World Cup

Recently, the decision to strip Rohit Sharma of the ODI captaincy came as a major blow to the Indian cricket fraternity. Rohit had led India to the final of the 2023 ODI World Cup and recorded a high win rate. Despite this, the selectors decided to appoint Shubman Gill as captain with the 2027 ODI World Cup in mind.

The BCCI stated that the move was part of future strategy, but fans and many former cricketers called it "injustice" to the captain. For Rohit, who had already relinquished the T20 and Test captaincy, the decision was deeply traumatic, especially despite winning ICC trophies.

Also Read: Top 5 most successful ODI captains of India, Greatest Leaders

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