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- Published: January 15, 2022 19:03
New Delhi: A day after Team India lost the Test series to South Africa, Virat Kohli on Saturday announced his decision to step down from Test captaincy.
Last year, Kohli had stepped down as the T20I captain and then he was removed as the ODI leader as the selectors wanted one captain for the white-ball format.
“It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil, and relentless perseverance every day 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”, Kohli said in a statement.
“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. 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,”, he added.
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022
Kohli’s decision to leave Test captaincy comes a day after India lost the three-match Test series against South Africa on Friday.
Virat Kohli’s biggest win in the longest format came during 2018-19 as India won its first Test series Down Under. Under his captaincy, India also reached the finals of the World Test Championship (WTC).
It needs to be pointed that Kohli has not registered a century in international cricket since November 2019. He last scored a ton against Bangladesh in the day-night Test at the Eden Gardens.