Virat Kohli resigns | A timeline of events as Virat Kohli resigns from Team India captaincy after South Africa Test series

It has been a sudden but dynamic shift in Team India’s leadership across all formats since September last year. Virat Kohli, who took over India’s captaincy full-time in all three formats in early 2017 is no longer leading the side in any of the formats. Ahead of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2021, Kohli said that the tournament will be his last assignment at the helm of the national side in T20Is and five months later, he has now resigned from the role in Test matches as well, a decision which came out of nowhere and has shocked the entire cricketing fraternity.

In between, Rohit Sharma, who was made the new captain in the shortest format, replaced Kohli as the captain in the ODIs as well as the board and the selectors reckoned that they wanted to have only one white-ball captain.

So let’s take a look at how things have unfolded in the last five months:

September 16, 2021: Kohli stepped down as captain in T20Is saying that he had to manage his workload but would continue to lead the side with the best of his ability in ODIs and Test matches.

“Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for the last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian team in Test and ODI cricket,” the batting icon wrote in a statement while mentioning that he took this decision after giving it a long thought and contemplating the same with the then head coach Ravi Shastri and his deputy Rohit Sharma.

December 8, 2021: Rohit Sharma replaced Virat Kohli as the captain in the ODIs, which was one of the statements in the press release announcing the squad for the three-match Test series against South Africa. The reason for the same was not mentioned in the release.

December 12, 2021: Speaking to News18, Ganguly said that he had personally asked Kohli not to quit from T20I captaincy and that the selectors wanted only one white-ball captain and hence the decision to replace him with Rohit. “It’s like I said… I personally requested him (Kohli) not to give up the T20I captaincy. Obviously, he felt the workload. Which is fine, he has been a great cricketer, he has been very intense with his cricket. He has captained for a long period of time and these things happen. Because I have captained for a long period of time; therefore, I know. Also, they wanted only one white-ball captain. And that’s why this decision. I don’t know what’s going to happen in future. But as I said, it’s a good team and it has some fantastic players and I hope they will turn it around,” the BCCI president had said.

December 15, 2021: Ahead of the team’s departure to South Africa, Virat Kohli contradicted Ganguly’s statement as he said that he wasn’t asked to reconsider his decision, rather it was termed as a progressive step from the board. India’s most successful Test captain also added that he was informed 90 minutes before the selection meeting that he was being removed as the captain in ODIs as well.

Speaking at the presser, Kohli said, “‘When I told BCCI that I want to give up T20I captaincy, it was accepted really well. There was no hesitancy. I was told that it was a progressive step. I informed at that time that I would like to lead in ODIs and Tests. The communication from my side was clear but I had also informed that if the office bearers and selectors don’t think I should lead in other formats then that is fine.”

“Obviously, we have not won ICC tournaments. I can understand the reasons. There was no debate as to whether the decision was right or wrong. Whatever decision the BCCI made was taken from a logical point of view, which is totally understandable,” Kohli on why he was sacked from the ODI captaincy role.

December 31, 2021: Chairman of selectors, Chetan Sharma addressed a press conference while announcing the squad for the ODI series against Proteas. Sharma backed Ganguly’s statements saying that the members of the committee had asked Kohli to reconsider his decision while echoing the same sentiment of having one white-ball captain as the reason for replacing Kohli in the ODIs as well. 

“It was Virat’s decision and nobody actually told him to quit the [T20I] captaincy. But once he quit T20 captaincy, obviously the selectors have to think what our decision is and obviously all selectors think it is one captain for white-ball formats, it becomes easy for selectors to plan things. We informed him regarding this. The 50 overs decision was the selectors’ and T20 captaincy was his decision,” Sharma had said.

January 15, 2022: Out of nowhere, Kohli announced a sudden decision to relinquish Test captaincy as well saying that he has always believed in giving 120 percent in everything and if he isn’t able to do so, it’s not the right thing as he thanked the board and his teammates for all teh co-operation.

“Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as Test Captain of India, it’s now. There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey, but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief. I have always believed in giving my 120 percent in everything I do, and if I can’t do that, I know it’s not the right thing to do,” Kohli said in a statement.