‘Your legacy will stand for the kind of benchmarks you have set’ – Ravi Ashwin’s heartfelt note after Virat Kohli resigns as India’s Test skipper

Indian off-spinner Ravi Ashwin penned down an emotional note after Virat Kohli stepped down as the skipper of the national Test team on Saturday, January 15. Kohli captained India in Tests for over seven years after taking over from MS Dhoni following the Melbourne Test in the Border Gavaskar Trophy. From there on, he didn’t look back and kept garnering one laurel after the other.

In 2019, during India’s Test series against the West Indies, Kohli also became India’s most successful skipper in the purest format. The Delhi-born Virat surpassed Dhoni’s tally in the red-ball games and kept taking India to greater heights in Test cricket. Under Kohli, India also won two back-to-back Test series on Australian soil and are currently leading England 2-1 in an unfinished series.

Last year, Kohli resigned as India’s T20I skipper after which he was removed as the ODI captain. Previously, he also stepped down as the skipper of the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Ashwin reckoned that Kohli has set the benchmarks and left a legacy for the upcoming generations to follow. He also lauded the 33-year-old for bowing out on a positive note. Kohli stepped down after India lost the Test series in South Africa 1-2.

Ashwin took to Twitter and wrote:

“Cricket captains will always be spoken about with respect to their records and the kind of triumphs they managed, but your legacy as a captain will stand for the kind of benchmarks you have set. There will be people who will talk about wins in Australia, England, Sl etc etc.”

“Wins are just a result and the seeds are always sown well before the harvest! The seeds you managed to show is the kind of standard you set for yourself and hence set the expectations straight with the rest of us.”

“Well done @imVkohli on the headache you have left behind for your successor and that’s my biggest takeaway from your stint as captain. “We must leave a place at such an altitude that the future can only take it higher from there on.”

Ravi Ashwin’s tweets

Cricket captains will always be spoken about with respect to their records and the kind of triumphs they managed, but your legacy as a captain will stand for the kind of benchmarks you have set. There will be people who will talk about wins in Australia, England , Sl etc etc

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 16, 2022

Wins are just a result and the seeds are always sown well before the harvest! The seeds you managed to sow is the kind of standard you set for yourself and hence set the expectations straight with the rest of us. Well done @imVkohli on the headache you

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 16, 2022

have left behind for your successor and that’s my biggest takeaway from your stint as captain. “We must leave a place at such an altitude that the future can only take it higher from there on “ 👏👏👏 #Virat #CricketTwitter

— Ashwin 🇮🇳 (@ashwinravi99) January 16, 2022