Dr. Shashi Tharoor, currently a third-term Lok Sabha MP representing the Thiruvananthapuram constituency, hailed the Indian great Virat Kohli, who resigned as the captain of the Indian cricket team with immediate effect.
The big announcement came after India’s 3-match Test series defeat against South Africa. Virat Kohli, who had replaced the former Indian captain MS Dhoni as the full-time captain in 2014/2-15, has emerged out as the most successful skippers, having won 40 wins in 68 matches.
Virat took to his Twitter and shared a heartfelt statement where he revealed how he believes in giving his 120 percent in everything he does and if he can’t, he knows it’s not the right thing to do. He also thanked former Indian head coach Ravi Shastri and former skipper MS Dhoni for showing faith in him. Kohli called them the engine behind the vehicle that moved the Indian cricket team forward. He wrote:
“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 had 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.”
Here, check out the Tweet:
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022
Meanwhile, Dr. Shashi Tharoor took to Twitter and hailed Virat Kohli for his contributions to Indian cricket. He wrote:
“No Indian fan would have wanted you to go this way, after a defeat. Your contributions as captain have been immense, your presence & energy inspirational, your articulation impressive. You always led from the front. You embodied the spirit of the team. We will miss you.”
Here, check out his Tweet:
No Indian fan would have wanted you to go this way @imVkohli, after a defeat. Your contributions as captain have been immense, your presence & energy inspirational, your articulation impressive. You always led from the front. You embodied the spirit of the team. We will miss you. https://t.co/uzI9ixxoYa
— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) January 15, 2022
Not just this, in a video for The Quint, Shashi Tharoor expressed how he is still processing the news of Kohli’s resignation from Test captaincy. He also said how one statement of Virat Kohli has struck him hard. He said:” that he had always given 120% and the moment he felt he could no longer do that, he had to step aside rather than be less than honest with his team. That says that for whatever reason, he no longer has the heart to lead the Test side.”
Shashi further hailed Virat Kohli as a hugely impressive captain. He also talked about how Kohli has gone from being India’s all-format captain to just being an ordinary player in a matter of two months. He also questioned the terms Virat Kohli exited on. He said:
“Events behind the scenes, still largely unknown to the rest of us whose loyalty and support sustain cricket in India, have convinced him that he cannot lead India as he has done for seven years. So in a matter of two months Kohli has gone from being India’s captain in all three formats of the game to just being an ordinary player.”
