In what will be one of the most shocking cricket moments for 2022, Virat Kohli has stepped down from India’s Test captaincy.
Kohli started his tenure as a stand-in skipper in the 2014-15 Border-Gavaskar series.
In that Adelaide Test, he led from the front with two centuries, as India fell just short of a brilliant chase.
The standard was set for a new India that would show fight and a willingness to win, and not just lie down against tough oppositions.
He was appointed full-time captain later in the series, and since has taken an Indian side that was ranked number seven in Test cricket to the number one spot.
Kohli did not lose a single home Test series. He has the best away success for an Indian captain, including the first series win in Australia.
He had some downs as well with a couple of series losses in South Africa, hardship in England in 2018, and a few disappointments against New Zealand.
However, if you look closely, India fought very hard and were unlucky not to win most of those series.
The fact is under Kohli, India have changed to side that is expected to win every Test match they play.
(Photo by Gareth Copley/Getty Images)
Kohli captained India in 68 matches, winning 40, drawing 11 and losing 17. He scored 5864 runs at an average of 54.80 with 20 centuries as Test captain.
Virat Kohli is the biggest advocate of Test cricket. The passion he brings is unmatched, and he will always bring eyes to Test cricket.
He has constantly publicly praised and prioritised Test cricket, and this is especially notable in a time when white-ball cricket is taking over, especially in India.
However, his greatest strength is also his greatest weakness, like his cover drive, and he often crossed the line, most notably in India’s latest Test match.
However, overall, this fighting attitude has transformed Indian cricket for the good.
There are certainly questions over the timing of this decision. I feel there is something going on behind the scenes with Sourav Ganguly and the BCCI.
A few months ago, Kohli stepped down from the T20 captaincy and then was stripped of the ODI captaincy.
The board felt that one white-ball captain was necessary, but Kohli says he wasn’t told this when he made his decision and would’ve liked to continue.
I believe that if Kohli knew he would lose his ODI captaincy, he would not have quit the T20 captaincy.
Now he has given up his favourite format. There are also rumours that Kohli insisted on the team playing the fifth Test match in England, but Ganguly wanted to prioritise the IPL.
If India had won the SA series, one in which they were big favourites, would Kohli have made this choice?
I don’t think just one Test loss – considering KL Rahul captained the second Test – would have made Kohli quit.
It is possible that his own poor performances in the last couple of years are mentally impacting Kohli, and he doesn’t believe he can give his full 120 per cent.
(Photo by Daniel Kalisz/Getty Images)
This comes at a fragile time for the Indian side with the middle order struggling.
Ajinkya Rahane won’t take over because he is likely to be dropped from the side. The options are either KL Rahul, who has only recently come back into the side, or Rohit Sharma, who is actually older than Virat Kohli.
I wouldn’t be totally against taking an early punt on Rishabh Pant, but captaincy might weigh him down. He’s a free spirit like Marnus Labuschagne.
Ideally Kohli would’ve wanted to stay captain for a few more years and then pass the baton to a youngish, established player like Shubman Gill.
This is evident from Kohli empathising with MS Dhoni’s role in blooding him and putting full trust in him to take the side forward. Clearly something in recent times has ruined this scenario.
The elephant in the room is that now Virat Kohli could potentially be dropped from the Indian side, with poor form in recent times.
Personally, I wouldn’t be surprised if Kohli retired relatively soon. His edge is slightly gone and he might not want to just sit on the sidelines of Ganguly’s control.
Overall, this is a great loss for India and Test cricket. Let’s hope we get one more glance at the batting class of Virat Kohli.
Simoc
Guest
From what has transpired since there is little doubt Kohli had to resign or was to be sacked by Ganguly. So it probably was an easy choice given that scenario. Ganguly seems to occupy royalty-type status in India and when Greg Chappell dropped him from the Indian team, India dropped Chappell from the coach role. Mind you Chappell's coaching record must be the most abysmal in the game. Can anyone point to a successful team he coached? Certainly, Kohli has failed, by his standards, in his batting form of late. Now he can choose to score runs or retire. He has been great for India and cricket. I rate him better than Tendulkar.
KenoathCarnt
Roar Rookie
He didn’t get fined from the ICC for abusing the refs and shouting into the stump cam? I’m not surprised really a class batsmen with a terrible attitude no apology made after the match. It’s kind of hard to feel sorry for him.
CricDude
Guest
Agree. Fans overreacting on social media. As if its the end of Indian cricket. The game is bigger than any individual. Virat demanding both formats or none itself immature. As if he owns Indian cricket. Yes there is a leadership crisis barring Rohit Sharma at the moment. But the game finds a way of coming up with other heroes.
CricDude
Guest
His spirits gave him success in tests than his cricketing brain. He was never a tactical genius of the game. Yes Kane is the best leader among the four. He has the calmness, man management skills, driving the players to the best of their abilities.
CricDude
Guest
Great point you made. Even if the board had its role in him giving up captaincy, what is wrong in it? Some fans (maybe many) just blaming the board and the selectors. The selectors felt there was a better shorter format leader in the team and fairly so. Rohit has shown that tactical side and the calmness in whatever opportunities he has got. In my opinion Virat was selfish in wanting both ODIs and Tests or nothing. As if he owns Indian cricket. And the timing of giving up tests was not ideal. Having said that, the game is bigger than any individual. I hope the Indian cricket revives itself with other players. The next couple of years though, we need Rohit Sharma to be fit. Right now, there is a leadership crisis. There is no one other than Rohit according to me who is ready for the highest level.
sheek
Roar Guru
I like Kohli. He has that raw honesty that scares a lot of people, but which I admire.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Quite correct Dave . When I say should have , I question why he took the Kolpak deal first place . Usually it’s because the players feel excluded and don’t have a fair shot at International cricket . That’s certainly the case of Kyle Abbott ..Aussies will well remember him . Believe he was leading wicket taker county cricket last season . Also Riley Roussouw ..we certainly can do with him in the middle order right now . So yeah I still believe all things being equal , which they are not in SA , Olivier should have been an auto pick prior to taking a Kolpak contract . But right now Ngidi is putting on excess weight faster than Ian Botham . Maybe we may still see Abbott back in the mix now that Kolpaks done and still Nortje waiting . In an ideal World we can rotate all these quicks constantly without losing any intensity. But it’s not an ideal world is it .
Simoc
Guest
I think this comment sums it up well. Kohli is an all time great batsman but goes overboard to often for a captain. To emotionally involved. Can be great if positive but in his case often wasn't. Still his batting in Hobart against Oz was the best betting I have ever seen, alongside A B DeViliers who can do similar things.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
As a couple of commentators said yesterday during the Ashes, Kohli’s commitment to Test cricket has been very important for the game, given he is such a big figure in India. Some people may not like his style - his protests down the stump mike in SA were way out of line - but there was no doubting his passion and commitment. And he has the third highest win % of any captain with 25 or more Tests, behind Waugh and Ponting. Though behind in loss % to some like Lloyd, Richards, Benaud, I Chappell, Strauss, Border and Imran.
DaveJ
Roar Rookie
Olivier not in the squad because he took a Kolpak contract in England?
Linphoma
Guest
Dead right, Jinks was standout last year without the histrionics. There's a problem though. He's not scoring runs at the moment.
Bobbo7
Guest
I like Kohli and it may be time to step down. An ok captain - not a great one. Of the Fab 4 only Williamson can be described as a great captain. Has dragged NZ to a WC final they would have won in a just world, lead from the front in the WTC final to win and was the only player to stand up in the T20 WC final. Its the runs and the leadership. Smith clearly wasn't up to it, Root has been average and Kohli while better, was too emotional. I thought Rahane in Australia as stand in was excellent though.
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
De Villiers even at the prime of his Test career was made captain and asked to be relieved after a few matches . It was given to Amla , who also incidentally stepped down after a few games and passed it onto Faf du Plessis who relished in the responsibility. Think some players just not meant to captain . I think Kohli wanted it . He may have been influenced by AB but it’s his own call .
Just Nuisance
Roar Rookie
Fortunately matches are not played on paper . Jansen throwing them down at 150kph , left arm from 6’8” and hitting perfect lengths on a seaming pitch neutralises the boldest names on a team sheet . Olivier is underrated and should have been in the squad ages ago . I think the sheer sustained intensity of the pace attack surprised India . All SA batters had to do was put some runs on the board and they barely did but it was enough for the bowlers to defend against.
carnivean
Roar Rookie
You simply can't be captain of every single team you are in and do justice to the role. Each captaincy is a commitment of time and mental energy. Most experts agree that leading even the 3 national teams is a huge task. Giving up the captaincy of the teams that mean the least to you is the easiest way to scale back that task.
Linphoma
Guest
Why is Indian cricket in such a knot? Kohli made some mistakes, get over it. He's resigned the captaincy, there will still be a competent Indian national Test cricket team. Why this fixation on one oversized personality? It's not as if he is out of the team. He isn't the team. I just don't get the idea of the cult of personality. Are they going to educate Indian cricketers on Virat Kohli thought like Xi Jinping thought? Are we going to see Indian cricketers scribbling notes like Kim Jong Un's sycophants?
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
If a cricket player wants to be captain they will be captain of every format plus try to captain everything else off the field. Its De Villliers influence that has made Kohli give up the captaincy. De Villiers settling for lifestyle when he could have been leading South Africa and even giving up cricket. The issue I see is whether Kohli can adjust to not being captain, is he going to be taking a seat back or will he be like the workaholic that retires and goes to a resort and then finds he gets bored and misses working.
Arj
Roar Rookie
Yeah I don't think he wants to play till his 40s, even though his body could certainly handle it. With the RCB point, I simply think Kohli just doesn't care too much about t20 cricket, especially compared to his Indian peers. He wanted to keep the ODI captaincy, and losing it definitely made him drop the Test captaincy.
Arj
Roar Rookie
Yes the SA series was one they should've won but I don't think one lost test should undo all his work, also considering in their last series India were 2-1 up against England away. The timing is still very poor from me. There's no next generation leader to take over the Test side. They will have to have a temporary captain which is unnecessary. Kohli knows this is important because he stressed the importance of Dhoni putting trust in him, which makes me think Kohli was partially forced to step down. Obviously as a captain Kohli has a big say in Indian cricket, but I'm not sure why it's been forced that it's entirely Kohli's fault that Rahane and Pujara are still around? Shouldn't that be on the whole team management as well as Kohli?
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
Kohli's attention has moved away from cricket , AB De Villiers his best friend lost interest a long time ago the only difference De Villiers batting was still at a very high level even in the last season of the IPL. The signs have been there for a couple of years and when he announced he was stepping down as RCB captain the writing was on the wall. I dont see how your going to give up the captaincy of an IPL team and still do it at a national team level.