Virat Kohli
Virat Kohli, the Indian skipper, announced on Thursday that he will be stepping down as the T20I captain after the T20 World Cup in the UAE and Oman, sending Twitter into a frenzy.
Just days before the T20 showpiece, Kohli cited his "immense workload" to move away from the T20 captaincy and contribute as a batsman in the shortest format.
"I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey as the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team. I couldn't have done it without them - the boys, the support staff, the selection committee, my coaches and each and every Indian who prayed for us to win," said Kohli in his statement.
Kohli, however, said that he will continue to lead the Indian team in the Test and ODI format.
"Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all three formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket. I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 Captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 Team as a batsman moving forward."
BCCI president and former India skipper Sourav Ganguly also thanked Kohli for his "tremendous" performance as India's captain in the shortest format.
"Virat has been a true asset for Indian Cricket and has led with aplomb.He is one of the most successful captains in all the formats. The decision has been made keeping in mind the future roadmap," said Ganguly.
"We thank Virat for his tremendous performance as the T20I Captain. We wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup and beyond and hope that he continues to score plenty of runs for India,"he added.
Here's how Twitter reacted to Kohli's decision:
