Star batter Virat Kohli has disclosed the reasons behind his decision to step down as India’s captain. Initially asked to relinquish his T20I captaincy, Kohli was subsequently removed from the ODI captaincy, with Rohit Sharma taking over those responsibilities. Although he retained the backing of BCCI officials for the Test format, Kohli decided to resign following the team’s series against South Africa in early 2022.
The veteran cricketer cited the mental and emotional toll of captaincy as the primary factor for his departure. Under his leadership, India achieved significant success, winning 40 out of 68 Tests and consistently contending in ICC white-ball tournaments, including reaching the final of the 2017 Champions Trophy and the semi-finals of the 2019 ODI World Cup. However, he revealed that the mounting pressure proved overwhelming.
“I ended up being in a place where I became the focal point of our batting unit. And then I became the focal point of leadership. I didn’t realise how much of a load both those things would present in my daily life, to be honest. But because I was so driven and motivated to just make sure that Indian cricket stays on top, I didn’t really pay attention to it. And that’s precisely why by the time I left captaincy, I was completely spent. Like there was nothing left in the tank to give. And I was completely consumed by it. So, yes, it was gruesome,” Kohli stated at the RCB Innovation Lab’s Indian Sports Summit on Tuesday.
Kohli also highlighted the challenge of balancing personal performance expectations with the team’s results. “It was difficult to manage expectations of, okay, if you win, you don’t score runs, then you’re asked about your performances. And if you perform and you don’t win, you’re asked about the results. So I was always juggling between the two and trying to manage as best as I could,” the 37-year-old added.
In reflecting on difficult phases during his Test career in 2021 and 2022, Kohli credited Rahul Dravid and Vikram Rathour for their support in helping him regain confidence. “Rahul bhai and Vikram Rathour. I’ve said this many times. I had a great run in Test Cricket in 2023. Whenever I see them, whenever I meet them, I always thank them from the bottom of my heart,” he expressed.
