Virat Kohli confirmed on Thursday that he will step down as captain of India's T20I team after the T20 World Cup in the United Arab Emirates in October-November. The bat star said that he will continue to lead India in Tests and ODI cricket."I've decided to step down as the T20 captain after this T20 World Cup in Dubai in October," Kohli said in a statement that he shared on his social media handles. pic.twitter.com/Ds7okjhj9J— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 16, 2021Virat Kohli has led India in 45 T20I internationals since taking over from MS Dhoni in 2017. He has a winning percentage of 64.44 with 29 victories and 14 defeats.Also Read- ICC mens T20I rankings: Indian captain Virat Kohli moves to No 4, KL Rahul retains sixth spotFor some time, there has been speculation about Kohli's future as white-ball captain especially in the backdrop of Rohit Sharma's brilliant track record of winning five IPL titles for Mumbai Indians.Discussed decision with Ravi Shastri, Rohit Sharma: Virat Kohli"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 five to six years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead Indian team in Test and ODI cricket," Kohli said in a statement on his Twitter page."I have given my everything to the Team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 captain and will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman moving forward," he further added.The decision, Kohli said, was taken after consulting head coach Ravi Shastri, his heir apparent Rohit, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and secretary Jay Shah."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...," Kohli stated."I have also spoken to the secretary Mr Jay Shah and president of BCCI Mr Sourav Ganguly along with the selectors about the same. I will continue to serve Indian cricket and Indian cricket team to the best of my ability," Kohli said.The T20 World Cup begins on October 17.Also Read- T20 World Cup: Shikhar Dhawan, Yuzvendra Chahal among big names missing from India's 15-man squad
Legendary Indian batsman Sunil Gavaskar has asked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) to groom KL Rahul to be India's next captain.Gavaskar wants to appoint KL Rahul as T20 vice-captain for India, with Rohit Sharma appointed as captain after Virat Kohli decided to leave the captaincy after the T20 World Cup.“It's a good thing that the BCCI is looking ahead. It's important to think ahead,” said Sunil Gavaskar“If India are looking to groom a new captain, then KL Rahul can be looked at. He has performed well. Even now in England, his batting was very good. He has been performing well in IPL and 50-overs cricket as well at the international stage. He can be made vice-captain,” said Gavaskar.Gavaskar praised Karnataka's batsman for his quality of leadership shown in the IPL. Rahul is the captain of Punjab Kings in the IPL.Also Read- Virat Kohli to step down as India T20 captain after World Cup“He has shown very impressive leadership qualities in the IPL. He hasn’t let the burden of captaincy affect his batting. His name can be taken into consideration,” said Gavaskar.The 34-year-old Rohit is Kohli's deputy in the white ball formats and is likely to take the lead role when India meets New Zealand in a home series in November that will feature three T20 Internationals along with two Test matches.Current head coach Ravi Shastri and the tenure of the support staff are coming to an end with the T20 World Cup and as things stand, there are indications that they won't seek an extension.“There is a CAC that will make the decision. If you want to think about the new coach, then you can’t keep talking to the captain. Yes, there needs to be an understanding between the captain and the coach. But you can’t ask a student who his principal or professor can be,” said Gavaskar.Also Read- ICC mens T20I rankings: Indian captain Virat Kohli moves to No 4, KL Rahul retains sixth spot
