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Former India cricketers react after Kohli says he'll step down as T20I captain

Former India cricketers Venkatesh Prasad and Munaf Patel reacted to Virat Kohli’s announcement of stepping down as India’s T20I captain after the completion of ICC T20 World Cup in November. Kohli took to Twitter and Instagram to make it official with a lengthy post explaining the rationale behind his decision. Both Prasad and Munaf replied to Kohli’s tweet, congratulating him on a wonderful stint as India’s T20I skipper.

Former India medium pacer Prasad wished Kohli luck for the T20 World Cup, which will be his first and last ICC event in the shortest format as a captain.

“Best wishes for the T20 World Cup. I am sure you will bring glory to the country,” tweeted Prasad.

Munaf Patel, who had played with a young Kohli in the 2011 ODI World Cup, said India will win the T20 under Kohli’s leadership.

“@imVkohli we are with you in your decision. I am sure we will win this #worldcup under your captaincy. Wish you All the best,” tweeted Munaf.

Former India all-rounder Irfan Pathan siad, β€œSurely it came as a shock to hear @imVkohli stepping down from the T20 captaincy after the World Cup. Looking forward to India winning the world cup as it will be a perfect tribute to his captaincy and hope the team carries his legacy forward.”

“Understanding workload is a very important thing… I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian team in Test and ODI Cricket,” said Kohli, whose leadership has been the subject of mounting speculation in recent months.

“I’ve decided to step down as the T20 captain after this T20 World Cup in Dubai in October,” he added in a Twitter post.

The 32-year-old, who became limited-overs captain after M.S. Dhoni stepped aside in 2017, has faced pressure over his failure to win India either the World Cup or the Champions Trophy.

But Jay Shah, secretary of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), had backed Kohli this week to continue.

“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,” said Kohli.

“Of course, arriving at the decision took a lot of time,” he explained, adding that he had consulted with India coach Ravi Shastri and opening batsman Rohit Sharma.

He also said he had informed Shah, BCCI president Sourav Ganguly and the national selectors of his decision.

BCCI said Kohli “will continue to be available for selection for the T20 format post the upcoming ICC (International Cricket Council) event”.

Source: Hindustan Times

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