Virat Kohli, the poster boy of Indian Cricket has stepped down from the post of the Indian Test Cricket Captain after a series of defeats against South Africa. This decision comes as a shocker to the fans of Indian cricket. The decision certainly shows signs of turmoil between the BCCI and the Indian Cricket players. Now it is up to the BCCI to appoint a captain. KL Rahul and Rishabh Pant will be considered front runners for the same. This decision has come after the Indian suffered a shocking test series defeat against a depleted Proteas team.
Virat Kohli Steps down as Indian Test Captain:
In an emotional tweet given by the Indian Captain today evening, he thanked all his colleagues. “I thank the BCCI for allowing me to lead the country for such a long period of time and most importantly the teammates who bought into vision I had for the team from day one.”, This is what the second part of the tweet said.
In conclusion of the tweet, Virat Kohli specifically thanked MS Dhoni and Ravi Shastri for believing in him. This is what he said, “To Ravi Bhai and the support group who were the engine behind the vehicle that moved 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 Captain and found me to be an able individual who could take Indian Cricket forward.”
Records as Indian Test Captain:
- Virat Kohli won 5 Test Maces (Team Ranking Number 1) as Captain.
- Virat Kohli took India from Test Rank 7 to Test Rank 1.
- Most matches as Indian Test Captain. (68 Matches)
- Highest Win Percentage as Indian Test Captain (58.82 Percent: Minimum 20 Matches.)
- Most Centuries for India as Captain: 20 Centuries
- Most Test Wins at Home: 24 Test Wins
- Most Away test Wins.
- Most Runs as Indian Test Captain.
Reason for Virat Kohli Quitting Indian Test Captaincy:
There can be several speculated reasons for Virat Kohli quitting the Test Captaincy. Since October of last year (2021) Virat has been having an estranged relationship with the BCCI officials. Several news reports have covered Virat Kohli having creative differences with the BCCI officials. But what needs to be thought about is the fact that India, as a nation will lose out on one of it’s top servants. Kohli has done everything in his reach to take the team to new heights. It is unfortunate that India couldn’t win an ICC Trophy under his captaincy bu that doesn’t define the genius of this living legend. Speculated reasons can also further include immense scrutiny by the media and analysts, family duties, personal reasons, mental health reasons (since being a skipper is no piece of cake).