‘For me, national duty comes before everything else’: Former India spinner Dilip Doshi says he wouldn’t have returned home had he been in Virat Kohli’s shoes

Indian captain Virat Kohli’s decision to return home for the birth of his first child in the middle of the Test series in Australia has led to several current and former cricketers giving their opinion on the issue. While the BCCI accepted Kohli’s request and granted him paternity leave, several former India cricketers have been of the opinion that Kohli should have put playing for India ahead of his personal interest.

Kohli, in a recent conversation with Australian batting great Steve Smith, reiterated the importance of the moment in his life and said that he wanted to return home to be by the side of his wife Anushka Sharma at any cost.

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“It is a decision that was absolutely clear in my mind. As committed as you are to play for your country, this is a very, very special moment in life and something that you want to be there for at any cost,” Kohli told Smith in a video posted on BCCI Twitter.

Former India spinner Dilip Doshi though has said that had he been in Kohli’s shoes he would have continued to play in Australia.

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“I know this is a modern phenomenon that people believe that they ought to be by the side of their family and spouses when they deliver a child. I understand all that. But when you are on a national duty… If I put myself in his shoes, I wouldn’t have gone. For me, national duty comes before everything else,” Doshi told Sportskeeda in a video interview.

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“This is a highly individual and institutional approach. Legally, you cannot stop somebody doing that. The cricket board cannot have a rule saying the players cannot go and be on the side of their spouses for such an occasion. Personally, I wouldn’t have gone,” added Doshi

India were bowled out for their lowest Test score in the second innings of the Adelaide Test as they lost the match by 8 wickets despite taking a 53-run lead in the first innings. Doshi said that Team India currently is a sinking ship and they needed their captain more than ever after the demoralising loss.

“To me, captaining India would be the prime-most thing on my mind. It’s a sinking ship. This is the time when they need their captain the most. If you leave at this time, you are leaving the side to your deputy with a lot of questions unanswered. I only hope and pray that the team shows enough character to come out of this,” Doshi said.

Doshi, a left arm spinner, picked up 114 wickets in 33 Test matches for India.He also picked up 22 wickets in 15 ODIs for India during his career.