Virat Kohli’s decision to step down as captain of the Indian Test team came as a shock to many, and cricket experts as well as fans are yet to digest the fact that he won’t be at the helm in the longest format of the game anymore.
Many credited Kohli for keeping Tests alive in an era where Twenty20 cricket has been dominating the sport.
However, some former cricketers like Sunil Gavaskar felt had Kohli not relinquished the captaincy, he would have been sacked by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI).
Another former cricketer, from across the border, Shahid Afridi too gave a controversial statement on the whole saga of Kohli quitting Test captaincy.
Afridi praised Kohli for leading the team with aplomb but added that in every cricketer’s journey, there comes a time when he fails to take the pressure and that is what prompted Kohli to take such a massive call.
“It’s fine in my opinion. Virat has played enough cricket and led the team well. And I believe this is the correct decision. There comes a stage where you can’t handle pressure, and because of it, your own performances get affected. So, I think he has captained for a long time and at a great level. As a batsman, it’s time he enjoys his cricket,” Afridi said on a show on Samaa TV.
On the same show, Afghanistan spinner Rashid Khan also gave his views on Kohli and credited the 33-year-old for taking Indian cricket to new heights during his seven-year stint.
“Just like Afridi said, as long as one enjoys, he carries on. The way he has led the team and the culture of fitness that he brought in the team, that is something huge for Team India what all he achieved in seven years. Everyone respects his decision, maybe he wants to enjoy his cricket now. If you feel it is a burden, then you step down,” Rashid said.
