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When N Srinivasan Ruined 'Virat Kohli As India Captain' Idea To Avoid MS Dhoni Sacking

MS Dhoni with Virat Kohli (X.com)MS Dhoni with Virat Kohli (X.com)

A melodramatic sequence of events played out in Indian cricket in 2012, wherein a threat to MS Dhoni's captaincy was overturned by the swift use of veto.  Just a year after leading India to World Cup glory, Dhoni faced the prospect of being ousted as captain before the Asia Cup, a move supported by key members of the BCCI selection panel.

During the Commonwealth Bank Series in Australia, selectors Mohinder Amarnath and Krishnamachari Srikkanth advocated for Virat Kohli's promotion to captain for the Asia Cup. This recommendation was made amidst the growing criticism of Dhoni's leadership. 

In a recent episode of 'Vikrant Unfiltered' on Sports Tak, Subramaniam Badrinath recounted a revealing conversation from a flight between Hobart and Brisbane. 

"I remember it was a 3-4 hours flight from Hobart to Brisbane during the Commonwealth Bank Series 2012. The same day a big episode in Indian cricket almost happened. I was sitting next to MS Dhoni in the flight, and I asked him will join the selection meeting teleconference for Asia Cup 2012 after landing in Brisbane, or if that has already happened. Dhoni responded by saying 'gone are my days now, who will ask me now? (Ab hamare din kaha. Hamare se kaun puchega ab?)'. I was shocked. I thought he was joking," Vikrant Gupta said on the show.

Veto Power Saves Dhoni’s Captaincy 

 "The next day I came to know that the selection committee featuring Mohinder Amarnath had asked to change the captain. He suggested to sack Dhoni, and give the captaincy to Virat Kohli. Then BCCI president N Srinivasan intervened and shot down the suggestion, and Dhoni remained the captain in the Asia Cup," he added. 

"In fact, Kris Srikkanth had also the same suggestion. When the secretary phone N Srinivasan to inform about the consensus of the selection committee, he exercised the veto power given to the president, and refused from signing the team sheet," senior journalist Nikhil Naz, who was also part of the show, added.

This pivotal moment allowed MS Dhoni to continue leading India through significant tournaments, including the 2012 Asia Cup, the 2015 World Cup, and the 2016 T20 World Cup. Under his captaincy, India also clinched the Champions Trophy in 2013, making Dhoni the only captain to win all three ICC white-ball titles. Dhoni eventually stepped down from Test captaincy in 2014 and continued as India's white-ball captain until January 2017.