Virat Kohli signed off as India’s T20I captain on Monday as India crushed Namibia by 9 wickets in Dubai to finish their T20 World Cup 2021 campaign on a high note. This was also his 50th T20I game as a captain. Men in Blue failed to qualify for the semifinals, and finished third in Group 2, behind Pakistan and New Zealand.
“It’s been an honor for me, I was given the opportunity and I tried to do my best. But it’s also time for me to create some space and prioritize some things moving forward. Unfortunately, the shortest format of the game has to give way. I’ve been immensely proud of how the team has played and grateful for the opportunity to have led the Indian cricket team in the T20 format for so many years,” said Kohli after the win against Namibia.
“Now I think it’s time for the next lot to take this team forward. Obviously, Rohit is here and he’s overlooking things for a while now and we will always be the leaders in the group. But a milestone moment for Indian cricket moving forward,” he said.
Virat Kohli took over as captain in the limited-overs internationals in 2017 after MS Dhoni stepped down from his position. He then led the team to the final of the 2017 ICC Champions Trophy and the semi-final of the 2019 ICC World Cup. This was his first and last assignment as a captain in the T20I World Cup.
Highlights of Virat Kohli T20I captaincy
1. Kohli has led India in 50 T20Is, of which India went onto win 30, lost 16, and tied two.
2. As captain, he has scored 1570 runs at an average of 47.57 and a strike rate of 144.18, including 13 fifties – The highest among India batters since 2017.
3. Kohli holds the record of scoring most T20I runs by an Indian skipper.
4. Since the start of 2017, Kohli has been the third-highest run-getter in T20Is overall.
5. Virat Kohli is the only Asian Captain to win T20 Series – in Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and England. He led India to 12 series wins out of 17 in charge, lost two, and drew three.
6. Under Kohli’s captaincy, India recorded its biggest-ever win in terms of runs (146) against Ireland in Dublin, 2018.
7. The 33-year-old has the best average (47.6) as a T20I captain (min. 500 runs).
8. India also recorded its longest winning streak (10 matches) in the format under Kohli’s captaincy.