Sachin Tendulkar Congratulates Virat Kohli On His Successful Stint As A Test Captain

Virat Kohli who stepped down as the Test captain was congratulated by legendary former Indian batsman Sachin Tendulkar, an ex-skipper himself, and currently, the leading ODI and Test run-getter and the batsman who has scored most tons.

Virat Kohli on Saturday announced that he is stepping down as the captain of the Indian Test team. Last year, the 33-year-old had stepped down as the T20I captain and then he was removed as the ODI leader as the selectors wanted one captain for the white-ball format.

Sachin Tendulkar Congratulated Virat Kohli For His Successful Stint As Captain Praising Him For Giving 100%

Virat Kohli on Saturday stunned the cricking world with his sudden decision of relinquishing captaincy in Tests. His decision comes after Team India lost the 3-match Test series to South Africa 2-1. Back in 2014, he led India for the first time in the longest format of the game after which he took the team to newer heights in the next seven years. Yuvraj Singh and Mayank Agarwal took to social media site Twitter and praised him.

“Congratulations on a successful stint as a captain, @imVkohli. You always gave 100% for the team and you always will. Wishing you all the very best for the future,” tweeted Sachin Tendulkar.

Meanwhile, India batter Mayank Agarwal took to his Twitter and posted some pictures with Virat Kohli and wrote, “Congratulations @imVkohli on a fantastic term as captain. It was an absolute honour playing under your leadership. Someone who led by example. You have created a winning mentality in everyone. Your passion and dedication to the game are an inspiration. Thank you, Skips.”

Former India batter Yuvraj Singh also wrote, “It’s been a remarkable journey King Kohli @imVkohli! Very few have been able to achieve what you have. Gave his all and played like a true champion each time. May you grow from strength to strength! Onwards and upwards.”

Virat Kohli led in 68 Test matches out of which the team registered victory in 40 games. 17 of them ended in a draw and lost 11 face-offs. Virat Kohli won 40 matches, which is 13 more than MS Dhoni. Virat Kohli captained India in 25 series. He won 18, lost six, and drew one series. Under him, India won 16 away Tests – the most for India, ahead of Sourav Ganguly who had won 11.

Virat Kohli Resigns As Most Successful Indian Test Skipper

Virat Kohli holds the record for most Test appearances as India Test captain (68) and he also holds the record for most Test wins by an Indian captain (40). Only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh have won more matches than Kohli as captain in Test cricket.

Announcing his decision on Twitter to leave Test captaincy, Kohli said: “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.”

“I want to thank the BCCI for giving me the opportunity to lead my country for such a long period of time and more importantly to all the teammates who bought into the vision I bad for the team from day one and never gave up in any situation. You guys have made this journey so memorable and beautiful.”

“To Ravi Bhai and the support group who were the engine behind this vehicle that moved us upwards in Test Cricket consistently, you all have played a massive role in bringing this vision to life. Lastly, a big thank you to MS Dhoni who believed in me as a Captain and found me to be an able individual who could take Indian Cricket forward,” he added.

Virat Kohli had first led the side in Test cricket in 2014 against Australia. His last game as captain was the Cape Town Test in South Africa, which India lost by seven wickets. Filling the shoes of MS Dhoni was not going to be easy, but Virat Kohli took leadership by storm, and quickly, he cemented himself as one of the best thinkers the country has seen in Test cricket.

The leadership also brought out the best in Virat Kohli and it saw the batter registering seven double-centuries in the longest format of the game. Virat Kohli also holds the record for scoring most Test centuries (20) as India captain.