Former Indian skipper Dilip Vengsarkar has shared his opinion on Virat Kohli’s call to step down as the T20I skipper of the side post the T20 World Cup. This gives Kohli yet another chance to win his first ICC title as the captain of the Indian Cricket team. India begin their campaign against arch-rivals Pakistan against whom they have an unbeaten record in ICC tournaments.
Speaking to the Times of India, Vengsarkar said that Kohli found the right time to quit his T20I captaincy. He said that he hopes that Virat Kohli wins the ICC T20 World Cup title and ends his stint on a high.
“I was expecting it. He’s been leading India and has been the No 1 batsman in all formats for almost eight years. He’s been under tremendous pressure to perform, because we expect a lot from him every time he goes into bat. The timing of his decision has been perfect. The only thing I hope now is he wins the World Cup and signs off as an India T20 captain on a high. It could be his last hurrah as T20I captain,” added Vengsarkar.
Virat Kohli announced his decision to retire from T20Is on September 16. He shared a statement across his social media handles to confirm his decision.
Virat Kohli To Continue Playing T20 Cricket
“I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. 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.
Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 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. Of course, arriving at this decision took a lot of time.
After a lot of contemplation and discussions with my close people, Ravi bhai and also Rohit, who have been an essential part of the leadership group, I’ve decided to step down as the T20 captain after this T20 World Cup in UAE and Oman in October. I have also spoken to the secretary Mr Jay Shah and the President of BCCI Mr Sourav Ganguly along with all the selectors about the same. I will continue to serve Indian Cricket and the Indian Team to the best of my ability. “ said Kohli in his statement.
India begin their T20 World Cup campaign against Pakistan on October 24. Kohli will have the added pressure of maintaining India’s consistent winning record against Pakistan in ICC tournaments.
Also Read: Virat Kohli Available For Selection In T20 Format Post T20 World Cup, Confirms BCCI
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