OMG! Twitterati in shock after Virat Kohli relinquishes from Test Captaincy
Virat Kohli, on Saturday, stepped down as Team India Test captain following a 1-2 series defeat to South Africa. Kohli posted a note on Twitter where he announced his decision. The 33-year-old finished as the most successful Test captain in Indian cricket history. He captained India in 63 matches as India emerged victorious in 40 out of it. Under his leadership, India registered their first-ever Test series win on Australian soil and also played the first-ever ICC World Test Championship Final.
It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance everyday to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Every thing has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now,” he said.
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 percent 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 added.
Meanwhile, Kohli also thanked his teammates for supporting his vision of taking the team to great heights. “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,” stated Kohli.
“You guys have made this journey so memorable and beautiful. 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,” he added.
Earlier, last year, Kohli relinquished the T20I captaincy after the ICC T20 World Cup and later was sacked as ODI captain as the selectors wanted a single captain for the white-ball formats. Rohit Sharma was named the captain of India’s white-ball formats. Meanwhile, nobody was expecting Kohli to quit Test captaincy at this time as his latest announcement shocked the cricketing world. Although, it is quite disappointing that due to some ups and downs in matches he faced such a scrutiny from public that he had to take such a shocking decision to step down as Indian captain.
The fans on social media went berserk after Kohli’s relinquishment as Test captain. Have a look :
In the recently concluded Test series against South Africa, Kohli faced a lot of scrutiny for his remark at broadcasters during the final Test match in Cape Town. After a controversial DRS decision, he went close to the stump mic and said, “Focus on your team as well and not just the opposition. Trying to catch people all the time.” The 33-year-old faced backlash from fans and former cricketers for his unnecessary remark.
By line: Divya Thearia