NEWS
Follow UsFormer India cricketers Irfan Pathan and MSK Prasad were amazed by the timing of Virat Kohli's announcement to step down as T20 International (T20I) captain. Kohli took to social media to convey that he will step down from the post after the T20 World Cup.
Pathan said he was surprised at the timing of Kohli's announcement saying that such calls are usually made after the tournament. "The timing of the announcement has definitely surprised me because you normally take such calls after a tournament. I wonder what will happen if we go on to win the T20 World Cup," Irfan Pathan told Sportstar.
"He has been a wonderful leader and we have seen what he can do in Test cricket in terms of leadership. There will obviously be questions of him not winning ICC tournaments, but I am sure he has taken the decision after a lot of thought. It is not an easy decision for anyone, but I hope that for the legacy of Virat, we win this World Cup. I hope he can finish it in style by winning the title," Irfan added.
While former selector, Prasad also said that the decision was announced before the T20 World Cup, he further adds that the bio-bubble life might have had an impact as well. "It is a little surprising that the decision was announced before the T20 World Cup. But then, the stress he must be carrying due to the bubble life and moving on from one bubble to another (could have also impacted). It is clearly visible and that has impacted his mindset," the former chief selector told Sportstar.
This is the first time Kohli will lead India in the T20 World Cup. India are yet to win an ICC title under Kohli. They reached the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy final and the 2021 World Test Championship (WTC) final under his leadership.