'It's one more distraction that Kohli doesn't need but he is, of course, capable of leading his side to a victory in the second Test to quieten things down a bit.'
The national selectors did well to deliver a loud and clear message as they sought to kickstart the transition in the Indian T20 team.
With a powerful batting lineup, power-hitting all-rounders and bowlers capable of taking early wickets and strangling sides through the middle and at the end of an innings it would not surprise if India did clinch their third World Cup title.
Can the subcontinent giants maintain their 12-year invincibility?
The Indian team seems to be making most of their time in New Zealand. The cricketers are soaking in some breathtaking views from around the Kiwi land including some beautiful lakes, picturesque mountain ranges and are also relishing roaming around city centres without getting mobbed for selfies.
Dismissing suggestions that Virat Kohli should open the batting in the T20 World Cup, former India opener Gautam Gambhir has firmly backed K L Rahul to do the job, saying the out-of-form batter has "probably got more ability".
Rohit is a tough cookie and the genial exterior concealed his real feelings as he said that playing under Pandya is no different from playing under any other captain.
Virat Kohli is likely to quit as India's limited overs captain after the T20 World Cup in UAE in October-November, it was reported on Monday.
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Australian great Ian Chappell lauded India captain Virat Kohli for being able to channelise his "highly emotional temperament" towards building a versatile team that has tasted plenty of overseas success.
With Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane unbeaten at the end of the penultimate day of the WTC Final, will India pull off another stunning win?
Rohit Sharma and R Ashwin shared his reaction and also had a message for Kohli.
Middle-order batter Cheteshwar Pujara threw light on the fitness of skipper Virat Kohli, who missed the ongoing second Test against South Africa in Johannesburg due to back spasms, saying he is getting better.
South Africa and India have advanced as the two other teams unbeaten in the group stage though both had their struggles in the United States leg of the tournament.
Whether he is batting in the middle or fielding at the boundary line, Virat Kohli's every move will be tracked, though some of that attention will now be on skipper K L Rahul.
Spin legend Shane Warne heaped rich praise on Virat Kohli, saying he has instilled self-belief in his team and hopes that the Indian skipper continues to play for a long time as it augurs well for Test cricket.
'I think there's going to be a very interesting story that's going to run through this series -- Kohli comes back as captain after Ajinkya Rahane was so good in Australia'
Tributes also poured in from across the border with former Pakistan opener Saeed Anwar hailing Dhawan's hard work and other qualities.
Captain Virat Kohli determinedly led India's fightback on an engrossing day two on Saturday, blunting Australia's bowling attack to leave the second Test hanging in the balance.
But he once again tried to assert that Kohli's form is least of concerns as far as he is concerned and also urged people not to be obsessed about one particular player's numbers.
Apart from Kapil Dev, the panel comprises former women's captain Shantha Rangaswamy and former men's coach Anshuman Gaekwad.
KKR's Rinku Singh was unlucky not to make it to India's 15-member T20 World Cup squad as he made it as one of the reserves.
Virat Kohli retained the top spot among batsmen while India were placed third among ODI teams in the latest ICC Rankings issued on Thursday.
Here are some of the memorable celebratory moments...
Sachin Tendulkar led the chorus of former and current cricketers, hailing Rohit Sharma's men for winning the T20 World Cup.
Two India squads travelling to different places at the same time could become a norm in the mentally draining world of bio-bubbles that cricketers are forced to live in amid the COVID-19 pandemic, said India captain Virat Kohli on Wednesday.
The entire Team stood together to give Kohli a guard of honour.
The former South African batsman said the Virat Kohli-led India has balance but it's not something which other do not have.
Virat Kohli is among the finest batsmen of all time, and has amassed a staggering 12,169 runs from 254 ODIs.
Impressed with his captaincy at the ODI World Cup, former captain Sourav Ganguly on Friday threw his weight behind Rohit Sharma, saying he should lead India at least till the T20 World Cup in June next year.
A day after Kohli was removed as the ODI captain, BCCI President Ganguly had told ANI that he had indeed spoken to Virat regarding the leadership change adding that he had requested Virat to also not give up the T20I captaincy.
'India in their home conditions are a different beast and they have started unsurprisingly strongly - I see them as favourites to win the competition at this stage, no matter what happens in Dharmsala (on Sunday),' writes Ross Taylor in his column for ICC Media Zone.
Former India pacer S Sreesanth on Friday backed Hardik Pandya's selection in the T20 World Cup squad, saying the all-rounder's presence alongside Virat Kohli will make for a "great combination" when chasing tricky totals.
In the team ranking in ODIs, India are currently placed second with 122 points behind England's 127.
India gears up for the second match of the three-game T20 series against Afghanistan in Indore on Sunday.
The Prime Minister praised Team India's talent and commitment, acknowledging their significant contribution to the country.
Agarkar said Team India has always found out ways to emerge victorious even in crunch situations.
Only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh have won more matches than Kohli as captain in Test cricket.
In a career that spanned over 14 years, the calmness that Dhawan exuded on and off the field was one characteristic that set him apart from the other stalwarts of Indian cricket.
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