Within months after he opted to step down as India's T20I skipper and was sacked from a leadership role in ODIs, Virat Kohli has now relinquished the captaincy of the Test side as well.
The shocking announcement came a day after India's 1-2 Test series defeat to South Africa in Cape Town. Kohli, who first captained India at the Adelaide Test in 2014 against Australia, was appointed to the full-time role after M.S. Dhoni announced his retirement from the format following the drawn third Test against Australia in Melbourne in December 2014.
"It's been seven 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. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it's now. 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," Kohli posted on social media on Saturday.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022
Despite such a good record, Kohli has stunned everyone with his announcement and now netizens are blaming the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and its president Sourav Ganguly for 'politics' in the Indian cricket board which forced the batter to make the shocking decision.
Check out some of the reactions:
Indian cricket fans to bcci, ganguly after Virat Kohli sudden retirement from test cricket captaincy too.... #viratkholi #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/o6W9oFFiZ2
— Bella Ciao (Chai) (@punjabiii_munda) January 15, 2022
Kohli stepping down from test captaincy proves there's something really weird going on the inside. No way i thought we would have a different test captain before he retires from the format. BCCI behaving like a soap opera now.
— Heisenberg (@internetumpire) January 15, 2022
I challenge my life @BCCI you will never find a captain or a player who is passionated and dedicated towards test cricket like #ViratKohli pic.twitter.com/IraU9imbF5
— ARVIND DEVILLIERS (@arvind_17_) January 15, 2022
@SGanguly99 , you are doing politics in Indian cricket. I had respect for you but I think I was wrong. @GautamGambhir who follows cricket will follow @imVkohli not you. https://t.co/IXNT05P3mn
— Shailendra Sharma (@SKS_Indore) January 16, 2022
Go to hell Ganguli
Script ke sath chlne bale
Indian cricket killer
You are the wrost person that we have ever faced— Omkar (@Omkar43653876) January 16, 2022
India has lost one finest quality Captain and player too due to poltices of sah and Ganguly ... Thanks #BCCI #BCCIPolitics @SGanguly99 @imVkohli #ViratKohli
Virat you will always be our #captaincy #CaptainKohli
— Emon Mukherjee (@EmonMukherjee21) January 16, 2022
As per the numbers, Kohli steps down from Test captaincy as the most successful skipper in the longest format of the game for India and fourth overall. Under his time as captain, India played 68 Tests, winning 40, losing 17, and drawing 11 matches, with a win percentage of 58.82 while registering memorable wins in overseas and home conditions.
