‘Congratulations on a successful stint’ – Rohit Sharma lauds Virat Kohli on journey as the national skipper

Rohit Sharma, Team India’s ODI and T20I skipper, was taken aback after Virat Kohli stepped down as the national Test captain. On Saturday, January 15, Kohli relinquished Test captaincy after serving the nation at the helm for more than seven years since MS Dhoni’s retirement. His decision came after India lost the three-match Test series against South Africa 1-2.

The 33-year-old Kohli also happens to be India’s most successful Test skipper after he surpassed Dhoni’s tally during the 2019 tour of the West Indies. It’s been more than a decade since the Delhi-born Kohli forayed into Test cricket. Rohit, who has played a truckload of cricket alongside Kohli, lauded him and also wished him for his future endeavours.

He took to Instagram and wrote, “Shocked!! But congratulations on a successful stint as Indian captain. आगे के लिए बहुत बहुत शुभकामनाएँ (Best wishes going forward) @virat.kohli,”

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After stepping down, Kohli thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for giving him the privilege of leading India at the highest level. He admitted that he’s had a roller coaster ride, but also said that the lean patch didn’t dampen his spirits. Kohli also thanked Dhoni for being a guiding light in the early part of his captaincy stint.

“It’s been 7 years of hard work, toil, and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I’ve done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test captain of India, it’s now.”

“There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief. 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.

Back in October, Kohli stepped down as Team India’s T20I skipper after which he was removed as captain in the 50-overs format. He also resigned as the skipper of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).