Kapil Dev surprised on Kohli’s decision to step down from T-20 captaincy

New Delhi, Sep 16 (UNI) Former captain of Indian cricket team, Kapil Dev called Kohli’s decision to step down from T-20 captaincy “surprising”. However, he appealed to respect the choice made by Kohli.
“I was surprised by the decision made by Kohli. It was his personal choice and we ought to respect that,” Dev said.
Rajeev Shukla, vice president of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) also said that the cricket board respects the decision of India Captain Virat Kohli to step down from the captaincy of T-20 format.
“Virat Kohli’s contribution to the Indian T20 cricket team as captain was immense. It can never be forgotten. This is his personal decision and we respect it,” he stated.
In a surprise move, Kohli announced on Thursday evening to step down as the captain of T-20 team after ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021 to begin from October 1 in Dubai. However, he will continue to lead the team in Test cricket and ODIs.
In a statement released on Twitter, Kohli said that the decision to relinquish T20 captaincy was taken after consulting people close to him, head coach Ravi Shastri and teammate Rohit Sharma.
“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 3 formats and captaining regularly for the last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to fully ready to lead the Indian 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 secretary Mr Jay Shah, the President of 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,” Kohli wrote in his post.