On January 15, Virat Kohli announced that he is stepping down as the captain of the Indian Test Cricket team, a day after suffering a defeat in the Test series against South Africa. In a statement released on his social media accounts, Kohli said, “Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now.”
“There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief. I have always believed in giving my 120 per cent in everything I do, and if I can’t do that, I know it’s not the right thing to do. I have absolute clarity in my heart and I cannot be dishonest to my team,” he further added in a statement released on social media.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022
Kohli expressed his gratitude to BCCI, former India coach Ravi Shashtri and ex-captain MS Dhoni in his statement announcing his resignation as the test captain.
“I want to thank the BCCI for giving me the opportunity to lead my country for such a long period of time and more importantly to all the teammates who bought into the vision I had for the team from day one and never gave up in any situation. You guys have made this journey so memorable and beautiful,” Kohli said.
Thanking Ravi Shashtri and MS Dhoni, Kohli said, “To Ravi Bhai and the support group who were the engine behind this vehicle that moved us upwards in Test Cricket consistently, you all have played a massive role in bringing this vision to life. Lastly, a big thank you to MS Dhoni who believed in me as a Captain and found me to be an able individual who could take Indian Cricket forward.”
Virat Kohli-BCCI controversy
The development came weeks after Kohli was embroiled in a controversy with BCCI after he was replaced as the ODI captain of the Indian Cricket team by Rohit Sharma. Days before travelling to South Africa tour, Kohli had convened a press conference in which he claimed that he was informed about the decision just one and half hours before the decision was taken officially.
He had also refuted assertions made by Sourav Ganguly that the Board had tried to dissuade him into not relinquishing the T20 captaincy. The prolific Indian batsmen had denied reports that said BCCI had requested him to stay on as T-20 captain, stating that the decision was well-received by the team management. He said that the decision was taken as a progressive step, there was no hesitation in accepting the resignation, and there was no request to him to withdraw the resignation.
