Virat Kohli | The hero returns; Virat Kohli resigns as India’s best Test captain

Virat Kohli – One of the legends of Indian cricket. There are those who love him and those who hate him. But no one who loves cricket can ignore him. Indian Cricket has many legends and great talents in its 80 year history. Of course, there is Virat Kohli among them – there can never be another like Kohli. The day after his team lost the Test series in South Africa, Virat Kohli resigned as India’s most successful Test captain.

The best of the best

The captaincy of the Test team is a status bestowed only on some of the greatest players in Indian cricket. In 1932, C.K. Naidu was India’s first Test captain. Under Lala Amarnath, the team won the first Test. Mansoor Ali Khan (Tiger) Pataudi led India to victory in its first overseas Test match and series. Since the beginning of this century, Sourav Ganguly and MS Dhoni have made India a winning team not only at home but also on bounce pitches abroad.

But Kohli led the team to heights not achieved by former Indian captains. Virat Kohli has captained India to 58.82 per cent in 68 Tests since 2015, behind Australia’s Steve Waugh (71.92%) and Ricky Ponting (62.33%). No other international captain has had a 25 percent success rate in Tests. Under Virat Kohli, India have won 40 Tests, lost 17 and drawn 11.

Under Virat Kohli, the team has won 16 Tests abroad, the highest ever by an Indian captain.

Speaking of records itself, his attitude as a captain ensured this success. With Kohli, it was never just a matter of strategy and game plan; It was also mind games – Ganguly did it well when he was captain. Kohli challenged his opponents with aggression. Kohli followed in Ganguly’s footsteps by doing sledging that was not so familiar to Indians. Kohli celebrated every wicket in an extraordinary way. All of this played a significant role in motivating the team.

The beginning of the end

Kohli has always been singled out for dynamic interventions. It was his character traits that prompted Kohli to make the biggest decision of his career on Saturday. As the Indian team prepares for the T20 World Cup last September, Virat Kohli made an unexpected announcement that he would step down as T20 captain after the tournament. He further added that the workload was the main reason for his resignation, adding that he would continue as Test and ODI captain. “Understanding the workload is very important. Given my huge workload of playing all 3 formats for the last 8-9 years and being a captain for the last 5-6 years, I think this decision is appropriate,” Virat Kohli said in a statement.

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A few months later, in December, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) sacked Virat Kohli from the ODI captaincy and appointed Rohit Sharma as India’s limited-overs (ODI, T20) captain. BCCI President Ganguly has said that he has asked Kohli not to step down as T20 captain. A few hours before the decision was announced, Virat Kohli had told him that he would be removed from the post of ODI captain. This is not the first series in which an Indian captain, including Kohli, has lost abroad, nor will it be the last. Kohli’s decision to step down as Test captain is attributed to the defeat in South Africa.

Didn’t expect that?

In a previous article, the author had mentioned that Kohli would have to relinquish his captaincy before the series starts in South Africa. “… There are not many captains who have survived the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) since. Virat Kohli has challenged the board and its chairman, former India captain Sourav Ganguly. The repercussions were sure to be felt. Despite the outcome of the South African series, cricket experts predicted that Virat Kohli would step down from the Test captaincy.

What’s next?

Though Virat Kohli has relinquished his important position in Indian cricket, he will continue to play for the country in all three formats. Rohit Sharma has been at the forefront of taking over the Test captaincy. Former vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane, who is currently being considered, is in poor form. KL Rahul is in no position to even retain his place in the final XI of the Test team.

Also Read- Virat Kohli resigns as captain of Indian Test team

Everyone is wondering how Rohit Sharma can take the Indian team to victory. But cricket fans all over the world will definitely miss the moments of Virat Kohli’s aggression and wild celebrations. However, it is certain that runs will continue to flow from Virat Kohli’s bat. Captain Kohli resigns But the legendary Kohli will still be in cricket!