Xtra Time Web Desk : Virat Kohli on Saturday stepped down as the Test captain of the Indian cricket team after the series defeat against South Africa. Kohli took to Twitter to make the mega announcement as the former skipper thanked BCCI, former head coach Ravi Shastri and MS Dhoni in his statement on social media.
In his statement, the 33 year old said, “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. 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.”
“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 team-mates 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. To Ravi Bhai [Shastri] 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.
Virat replaced MS Dhoni as the full-time captain in the 2014/15 season amidst the away series against Australia after Dhoni decided to quit the Captaincy.
And Kohli took India from number 7 in the ICC Test Rankigs to the spot of number 1, courtesy of his excellent leadership skills.
With 40 wins in 68 matches, Kohli ended his captaincy stint as the most successful Indian Test captain. It was under him that Team India went through many highs in Test cricket, with winning the first ever Test Series in Australia (2018-19) being the epitome of all his successes as the skipper.
Apart from the above successes with Kohli being at the helm of the team, India also reached the final of the Inaugural edition of ICC World Test Championship before narrowly missing out on the last step as they lost to the Kiwis in Southampton.
Now, with Virat stepping down as the Test Captain, it would be a daunting task to replicate his success as a leader in the red ball game, for whoever comes in as his successor.