NEW DELHI — Batting icon Virat Kohli relinquished Test captaincy after Team India’s shocking series defeat at the hands of Dean Elgar-led South Africa in the second edition of the ICC World Test Championship.
One of the most successful leaders in the history of the game, former Indian skipper Kohli led Team India from the front in his iconic captaincy stint which began after MS Dhoni’s retirement from the longest format.
Kohli captained the Team India side for seven glorious years in the longest format. Under his leadership, Team India made it to the final of the ICC World Test Championship. Kohli also guided Team India to their first-ever Test series win on Australian soil.
Kohli, who is India’s most successful captain in the longest format, had opted to resign from the captaincy duty after the visitors suffered a 2-1 series defeat in their ongoing tour of South Africa.
According to a report filed by Hindustan Times, it has been learned that Kohli was offered a farewell match by a Board of Control for Cricket in India official before the Indian skipper officially stepped down from the captaincy duty.
Kohli announced his departure as the Test captain of the Indian team by sharing a lengthy post on social media last week.
As per the report, the BCCI official offered Kohli a farewell match along with a gala in Bengaluru during his telephonic conversation.
“One match makes no difference. That’s not how I am,” Kohli is reportedly known to have said in his reply. The 33-year-old will play his 100th Test match for Team India in Bengaluru.
From BCCI president Sourav Ganguly to board secretary Jay Shah, Kohli was hailed by the entire cricket fraternity after the batting icon ended his seven-year reign as Team India’s most successful Test captain on Saturday.
Team India won 40 out of 68 Tests under the leadership of former skipper Kohli. Former skipper Kohli is the only Test player to score 5,000 runs and record a 52-plus batting average as captain in red-ball cricket.
“I personally thank Virat for his immense contributions as captain of the Indian cricket team. Under his leadership, the Indian cricket team has made rapid strides in all formats of the game. His decision is a personal one and the BCCI respects it immensely,” BCCI president Ganguly said in a statement.