Team India captain Virat Kohli has decided that he will step down from the leadership role in T20Is after the conclusion of the upcoming ICC T20 World Cup 2021.
Kohli, who has played 90 T20Is so far, captained India in 45 matches, and of those, his national team won 27.
The 32-year-old said in a statement that the decision was taken after consulting people close to him, head coach Ravi Shastri and teammate Rohit Sharma. Kohli cited “workload” and giving himself “space” to lead in Test and ODI cricket as the reasons behind his decision.
‘King Kohli’ and ‘Captain Fearless’ became some of the top trends on Twitter immediately after Kohli announced his decision, alongside ‘So much respect’ as posted by Australian sports presenter Chloe-Amanda Bailey.
“Virat Kohli to step down as T20 captain, confirmed by the man himself. So much respect, his contribution has been immense,” wrote Bailey.
Virat Kohli to step down as T20 captain, confirmed by the man himself. So much respect, his contribution has been immense. https://t.co/iEOs53ehjq
— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) September 16, 2021
BCCI President Sourav Ganguly, in his statement, said that Kohli has been a true asset for Indian Cricket.
“He has led with aplomb. He is one of the most successful captains in all the formats. The decision has been made keeping in mind the future roadmap. We thank Virat for his tremendous performance as the T20I Captain. We wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup and beyond and hope that he continues to score plenty of runs for India,”
The BCCI is yet to name Kohli’s successor as captain in the T20 format.
Here’s are some reactions from the fans and experts on Twitter:
Good step by @imVkohli giving up T20 captaincy but when he does so he should also let his successor take charge in 50-over cricket, if not all formats?#ViratKohli #cricket
— Anand Vasu (@anandvasu) September 16, 2021
The announcement could have come after the #T20WorldCup but I think getting this out of the way might help Kohli free up his mind and play more freely.
— Jigar Mehta (@jigsactin) September 16, 2021
Perfect timing from Kohli. This issue is closed and he has put a full stop to it in the best interests of the team. Time to talk only about cricket.
— Venkata Krishna B (@venkatatweets) September 16, 2021
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.
— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 16, 2021
That is a big brave call. Virat loves and wishes to focus on the team’s performance in the longest format. Big achievement for him has been the increased fitness level of the entire squad. Good luck for the road ahead @imVkohli @ImRo45 @RaviShastriOfc #TeamIndia #ViratKohli https://t.co/w0EpSOKGUA
— Reema Malhotra (@ReemaMalhotra8) September 16, 2021
We Always Miss That Aggression, That Passion in T20I As a Captain & End of An Era For King Kohli 😓🙏🏻 pic.twitter.com/Ext0iWuT2f
— Feroz Ghaffar (@Ferozghaffar18) September 16, 2021
Today's bold decisions will write tomorrow's bold success story.
We respect your decision, KING KOHLI. ❤#ViratKohli #KingKohli #T20WorldCup pic.twitter.com/8o422cOx1y
— Abhishek Anand (@Iamabhianand) September 16, 2021
