Virat Kohli on Thursday announced that he will be stepping down as India captain after the T20 World Cup later this year.

The 32-year-old put out a statement on social media to announce his decision.

Here’s Kohli’s statement:

“I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. I 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 three 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 Cricket 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 Dubai in October. I have also spoken to the secretary My Jay Shah and the President of the 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.”

Here’s Kohli’s post:

Kohli’s record as T20I captain:

Matches: 45

Won: 27

Lost: 14

Tied: 2

N/R: 2

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Kohli announced he will step down as India’s T20 skipper after the T20 World Cup in UAE but will continue to lead the side in ODIs and Test cricket, a decision that paves the way for Rohit Sharma to captain in the shortest format.

The 34-year-old Rohit is Kohli’s deputy in the white-ball formats and is most likely to take up the leadership role when India clashes with New Zealand in a home series in November that will feature three T20 Internationals along with two Test matches.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah, in a statement issued by the Board of Control for Cricket in India after Kohli’s announcement, said the BCCI has been in discussion with Kohli for a while now.

“We have a clear roadmap for Team India. Considering the workloads and ensuring that we have smooth transition, Mr Virat Kohli has decided to step down as T20I Captain after the upcoming World Cup,” Shah said.

“I have been in discussions with Virat and the leadership team for the last six months and the decision has been thought through. Virat will continue to contribute as a player and as a senior member of the side in shaping the future course of Indian cricket,” he added.

Kohli took over India’s limited-overs captaincy in 2017, succeeding Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The T20 World Cup starts on October 17 and Kohli will be keen to win the trophy.

Kohli has played 90 T20 Internationals, scoring 3,159 runs with 28 fifties and captained India in 45 of those games winning 27 and losing 14. He has a winning percentage of 65.11 as India captain in the shortest format.

Captaincy highlights

India are yet to win an ICC trophy under Kohli but the team’s series win under him in South Africa, Australia, New Zealand, England and West Indies will remain the highlights of his leadership tenure that started in 2017:

  • India’s first T20 bilateral series win came under Kohli in 2017 when the team won the one-off game in Sri Lanka.
  • The first series win in SENA countries came in South Africa in 2018 when India won 2-1.
  • In the same year, India managed to beat a formidable England team in its own backyard with the series result being 2-1.
  • By far the biggest overseas triumph came in New Zealand in 2019-20 season with Kohli’s team trouncing the Black Caps 5-0 before going on to lose the subsequent ODI and Test series.
  • In 2020, India bounced back after losing the ODI series in Australia to win the T20 rubber 2-1.
  • Most recently, India beat mighty England at home 3-2 and Kohli was named the player of the series.
  • Kohli remains the leading-run scorer in T20s with 3159 runs at an impressive average of 52.65 and highest score of 94 not out.

(With inputs from PTI)