Virat Kohli's decision to quit T20I captaincy quite surprising, says Shardul Thakur

Virat Kohli on Thursday, September 16 confirmed that he will step down as India’s T20I captain after the T20 World Cup in UAE. Kohli cited the pressure of leading the team in all three formats as a major reason behind the decision. The 32-year-old asserted that he will continue to lead India in the other two formats of the game.

Speaking on Kohli’s decision, bowling all-rounder Shardul Thakur stated that he was surprised with the decision and wished that Kohli had continued as the T20I skipper after the T20 World Cup 2021 too. He further stated that he would like to congratulate Kohli on his time as T20I captain but not before the end of the T20 World Cup which the 29-year-old is confident of winning.

“It’s quite surprising. I wish he had continued (as captain after the T20 World Cup too), but he has done the job for India since the past few years. So according to him, maybe it's time to move on as the India T20 captain. I haven’t had the opportunity to speak to him. I would like to congratulate him on his time as the India T20 captain, but only after we win this World Cup. Till then, he is still our captain,” Thakur told TOI.

Thakur was part of the India squad which toured England for a five-match Test series. Thakur had a great outing and performed brilliantly in crucial situations with both bat and the ball. In the Oval Test which India won and took a 2-1 lead, Thakur hit fifties in both the innings of the match. Including the all-important wicket of Joe Root, Thakur also managed three scalps at very crucial junctures. 

Thakur asserted that he loves to play under Kohli’s captaincy as he supports and encourages the players in the team to perform well.

“My relationship with him is very good. We often joke about a lot of things. At times, I try to pull his leg too, but only if he is in a mood. After all, there are many things that he needs to handle. I like to play under his captaincy. We go through different moods on the field. He has been very supportive and always motivates us to perform to our maximum potential,” he added.