What happened to Virat Kohli: Why did Virat Kohli leave captaincy in Test matches?

Virat Kohli leave captaincy in Test cricket: The former Indian captain has left behind a record legacy of 68 Test matches.

Months after stepping down as T20I captain and just over a month after being relieved of the ODI captaincy, Virat Kohli has decided to quit as the Test captain of the Indian cricket team.

The shocking development was made public via a tweet from Kohli this evening. The extent of surprise in Kohli’s announcement can be judged from the fact that there weren’t any reports doing the rounds in the Indian media this time round.

Kohli’s decision comes just over 24 hours after India lost a three-match Test series 1-2 in South Africa. Expected to win their maiden Test series against a comparatively weaker side in South Africa, India ended up losing consecutive Tests in Johannesburg and Cape Town.

One short of playing 100 Tests for India, Kohli has left behind a legacy of leading India in as many as 68 Tests between 2014-2022. Having led India most in the format, Kohli is sixth on the list of playing most Test matches as captain.

Why did Virat Kohli leave captaincy in Test matches?

“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.

“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 said in an official statement which also comprises of him thanking the BCCI, former head coach Ravi Shastri (and support staff) and former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni (debuted under him).

🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/huBL6zZ7fZ

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022

Out of the 68 Tests India played under Kohli, they had emerged as the victorious side on 40 occasions (most for an Indian captain). Globally, only Graeme Smith (53), Ricky Ponting (48) and Steve Waugh (41) have more Test wins as captain than Kohli.

In 113 Test innings as captain, Kohli’s 5,864 runs had come at an average and strike rate of 54.80 and 57.56 respectively. As Test captain, Kohli has stepped down with 20 centuries and 18 half-centuries to his name.

About the author

Dixit Bhargav

Born and brought up in Pathankot, Dixit Bhargav is an engineering and sports management graduate who works as a Cricket Editor at The SportsRush. Having written more than 10,000 articles across more than five years at TSR, his first cricketing memory dates back to 2002 when former India captain Sourav Ganguly had waved his jersey at the historic Lord’s balcony. What followed for an 8-year-old was an instant adulation for both Ganguly and the sport. The optimist in him is waiting for the day when Punjab Kings will win their maiden Indian Premier League title. When not watching cricket, he is mostly found in a cinema hall watching a Punjabi movie.

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