The Indian skipper, Virat Kohli left the cricketing fraternity in shock when he announced his decision to resign as the Indian captain in Test cricket. His decision came one day after India witnessed a 1-2 series in South Africa. However, as per the latest reports, the manner of those events could have been very different, and Kohli could have stepped down amid much fanfare but he chose not to take it.
If Virat Kohli wanted, he could have had a chance of getting a farewell Test match before stepping down as the skipper, next month in Bengaluru. He could have opted to lead the team for one last time in the 100th Test match of his career. A senior BCCI official offered Kohli a chance of having a gala as well however, the 33-year-old has reported having turned down the offer.
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Sri Lanka will tour India in February and will play the 1st Test against India in Bengaluru at the Chinnaswamy Stadium in the city, which coincidentally, is the home of Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB). However, Kohli had no intentions of doing so.
As per the reports of DNA, when VIrat Kohli informed the BCCI officials of his decision to step down as the skipper on a phone call, he received an offer to do so amid fanfare, however, the Delhi-born batsman allegedly said, “One match makes no difference. That’s not how I am.”
The reports further stated that Virat Kohli was first informed about his decision to head coach Rahul Dravid, later to his teammates, and then he informed the BCCI. While the board was more than happy to let him continue for a couple more series, Kohli wants to turn his focus towards batting, as he wanted to be relieved of the pressures that come along with the duties of a captain.
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In his annoucnement, Virat Kohli wrote: “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.”
In just a gap of five months, Virat Kohli gave up the captaincy of the Indian team in limited-overs cricket and was stripped of it, in the remaining one.