Virat Kohli, the talismanic batsman, lead the Indian cricket team for the last time in T20Is as captain and signed off with a thumping win over Namibia to end their campaign in the ongoing T20 World Cup with a victory. Following the win, Virat Kohli claimed that he will stop playing cricket the day his aggression and intensity decreased on-field.
Yes, you read that right. After the match, Virat Kohli expressed his emotions as his tenure as the T20I captain came to an end. He gave a very honest answer by saying that he feels relieved after giving up the captaincy. He also said that it has been an honor for him to represent team India over these years. He said:
“Relief firstly (on leaving T20I captaincy). It’s been a honor but things need to be kept at the right perspective. I felt this was the right time to manage my workload. It’s been six or seven years of heavy workload and there is a lot of pressure,”
When asked if his game (aggression) will change in the coming days since he now has less burden on his shoulders. Responding to this, Kohli claimed that he will stop playing the game the day his aggression decreases on-field. He said:
“That (his aggression) is never going to change. The day it does, I’ll stop playing cricket. Even before I became captain, I have always loved to contribute in some way or the other.”
Furthermore, Virat Kohli heaped praises on the Men in Blue and talked about what went wrong for team India during the World Cup. Virat also thanked Shastri and the support staff for creating a wonderful experience for the Indian players. He said:
“The guys have been fantastic, I know we haven’t got the results here but we have played some really good cricket. The guys have really made my work easier. The way we played the last three games, it’s a game of margins – T20 cricket these days. Two overs of attacking cricket at the top is what we were missing in the first two games. As I said, we weren’t brave enough in those games and in the group we were in, it was tough.”
He added:
“A big thank you to all those guys (Ravi Shastri and his support staff). They have done a great job over the years, creating such a wonderful environment for the players. People loved to get back to the atmosphere. They have done a really great job.”
Meanwhile, the Indian side will be seen locking their horns with New Zealand in the upcoming home series, which will kickstart from November 17th. As per reports, several senior players will take a rest from the series.
