Indian captain Virat Kohli dropped a bombshell on Thursday (September 16) when he announced his decision to step down as captain of the T20I team after the T20 World Cup 2021 in UAE and Oman.
Kohli, took to his social media accounts to make the announcement with a statement, where he explained his decision to quit T20I captaincy and also confirmed he intends to play as a batsman in the format for India.
His statement read:
“I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team. I couldn’t have done it without them - the boys, the support staff, the selection committee, my coaches and each and every Indian who prayed for us to win. Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket. I have given everything to the team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman moving forward. Of course, arriving at this decision took a lot of time. After a lot of contemplation and discussions with my close people, Ravi bhai and also Rohit, who have been an essential part of the leadership group, I've decided to step down as the T20 captain after this T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman in October. I have also spoken to the secretary Mr Jay Shah and the President of BCCI Mr Sourav Ganguly along with all the selectors about the same. I will continue to serve Indian Cricket and the Indian Team to the best of my ability.
Kohli has been very successful as India's captain in the shortest format, winning 29 (two in Super Overs) from his 45 matches in charge of the team, while losing just 14, with 2 matches being abandoned for bad weather. He led India to series wins in each of the SENA countries as well as West Indies and Sri Lanka.
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His decision sent shockwaves on social media as the cricketing world and fans reacted to the surprise announcement by Virat Kohli amidst speculation of his future as a white-ball captain.
Former Indian opener Aakash Chopra wrote, "So, Kohli has decided to give up T20i captaincy. This T20 World Cup will be his first and, possibly, last as a skipper. Let’s hope that he’s got the trophy in his hands on 14th November."
Another former Indian cricketer, Irfan Pathan wrote, "Surely it came as a shock to hear @imVkohli stepping down from the T20 captaincy after the World Cup.
Looking forward to India winning the world cup as it will be a perfect tribute to his captaincy and hope the team carries his legacy forward."
While renowned commentator and cricket analyst, Harsha Bhogle wrote, "Virat's intensity was insane. I had thought he would give up the captaincy of #RCB which would give him two months off as leader. Hopefully this can give his mind the rest it needs and who knows, find him another peak as a T20 batsman."
