‘I was always available’

India Test captain Virat Kohli confirmed his availability for the one-day leg of the team's South Africa tour on Wednesday and said he was "tired" of explaining there was no rift between him and the team's new white-ball captain Rohit Sharma.

A month after his own decision to relinquish 20-overs captaincy, Kohli was stripped of one-day leadership in a shock move with Rohit put in of both the limited-overs squads.

Kohli will lead India in a three-Test series, beginning in Centurion on Dec. 26, in South Africa and rumours were rife that the 33-year-old would skip the three ODI matches that follow.

"I was always available," Kohli told a pre-departure news conference. "You should not be asking me this question, honestly... I am available for selection for the ODIs in South Africa and I'm always keen to play."

Kohli felt his removal as the ODI captain was abrupt, a decision conveyed barely 90 minutes before selectors met on December 8 to pick the test squad for South Africa.