As a surprise to his supporters, Indian captain Virat Kohli revealed on Thursday that he will quit as India’s T20 captain after the ICC Men’s T20I World Cup. Kohli stated in a lengthy Instagram post that he is stepping down because he wants space to totally manage the ODI and Test squads.
Kohli stated that he made this choice following lengthy conversations with Rohit Sharma, team management, and the BCCI. Kohli said in his post, “I’ve had the good fortune to not only represent India, but also to lead the Indian Cricket team to the best of my ability. I’d want to thank everyone who has helped me along the way as Captain of the Indian Cricket Team. I couldn’t have done it without the lads, the support staff, the selection committee, my coaches, and every Indian who prayed for us to win.”
He last scored a century in 2019 against Bangladesh at the Eden Gardens, and he has struggled as a batsman since then, looking like a ghost of his former self. Virat Kohli’s Test average has dipped to 26.80 after the century, and his ODI average has plummeted to 43.26. In the IPL, his average fell to 39.06. Only in T20Is did he have a higher average. With almost 50 matches a year apart and a strain of guiding four teams on top of turning 30, he has noticed a drop in form.
Although, under Virat Kohli, players such as Mohammed Siraj, Rishabh Pant, and, to a lesser extent, KL Rahul, there is a distinct split in the dressing room. His loss of form has seeped into the locker room, and his judgments have been called into doubt. Dropping Ravi Ashwin from the England trip was also seen negatively by many in the dressing room. According to reports, players feel more at ease speaking with Rohit Sharma than with Kohli, resulting in a schism within the squad.
Kohli continued, “Understanding workload is critical, and given my extensive workload over the last 8-9 years playing all three formats and captaining regularly for the last 5-6 years, I believe I need to give myself some breathing room in order to be fully prepared to lead the Indian team in Test and ODI cricket. I have given all to the Team throughout my time as T20 Captain, and I will continue to do so as a batter for the T20 Team in the future.”
Notably, the Kohli-led Team India came within a whisker of winning the ICC World Test Championship before succumbing to New Zealand. India last won the ICC Trophy in 2013, when MS Dhoni guided the Men in Blue to victory in the Champions Trophy.
