Virat Kohli steps down as India’s Test captain

The Test series against South Africa came to an end after India lost the third Test by seven wickets and the chance to create history by winning the first Test series in South Africa. It is not the only thing that the Indian team has lost as the skipper Virat Kohli has announced his decision to step down from his position as the captain of the side. Just like his previous decision of stepping down from the T20I captaincy position, Kohli took to Twitter to make this announcement.

In his Tweet, Kohli took the Indian fans on a journey of his Test career started seven years back and the number of things the team achieved under his captaincy. He also mentioned that there were several ups and downs in his journey but he never failed to give more than 100 percent on a cricket field.

“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,” Kohli wrote on Twitter.

“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.”

Kohli further thanked BCCI for appointing him as the captain of the Indian side. He also thanked his teammates for believing in his vision right from day one. Kohli took the responsibility of the side when the team was at the seventh position in the rankings. Currently, the Indian team is ranked number one in ICC rankings. He helped the team win a series in overseas conditions and prepared a bowling attack that can take on any batting unit on a given day.

“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. You guys have made this journey so memorable and beautiful.”

Kohli also mentioned the name of former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri who saw him very closely on his journey as the captain. He finally signed off by expressing his gratitude towards former captain MS Dhoni whom he replaced.

“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.”

https://twitter.com/imVkohli/status/1482340422987169794?ref_src=twsrc%5Egoogle%7Ctwcamp%5Eserp%7Ctwgr%5Etweet