'Had discussion for 6 months,' Jay Shah reveals on Virat Kohli's big T20 decision

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah on Thursday expressed his gratitude to Team India's skipper Virat Kohli who announced that he will be relinquishing his T20 captaincy after the upcoming ICC Men's T20 World Cup. Jay Shah also shared Virat Kohli's 'most impressive aspect' on his Twitter handle. 

Thanking Virat Kohli's contribution as Team India's captain, Jay Shah wrote, "As a young talent the focus and determination you have showed as the captain is unmatched. The most impressive aspect was the way of maintaining balance between captaincy and individual performance."

Jay Shah in a statement said: "We have a clear roadmap for Team India. Considering the workloads and ensuring that we have smooth transition, Mr Virat Kohli has decided to step down as T20I Captain after the upcoming World Cup. I have been in discussions with Virat and the leadership team for the last six months and the decision has been thought through. Virat will continue to contribute as a player and as a senior member of the side in shaping the future course of Indian cricket."

Rajeev Shukla hails Virat Kohli's immense contribution 

As soon as news spread of the Indian skipper's decision to strep down as captain, BCCI Vice President Rajeev Shukla via a tweet supported Kohli's decision and said that he respected the player's choice.

Virat Kohli's full statement stepping down as T20 captain after World Cup

In a massive development, Team India's skipper Virat Kohli announced that he would no longer serve as the captain for the T20 team after the ICC Men's T20 World Cup in UAE & Oman. ICC Men's T20 World Cup is slated to take place from October 18 to November 15. 

"I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey as the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team. I couldn't have done it without them - the boys, the support staff, the selection committee, my coaches and each and every Indian who prayed for us to win," Kohli said in a statement posted on Twitter.

"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 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. I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 Captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 Team as a batsman moving forward," he added.

Virat Kohli stated that it 'took a lot of time' for him to arrive at this decision. Virat also said that he also spoke to BCCI Secretary Jay Shah and President Sourav Ganguly along with all the selectors regarding the same. "I will continue to serve Indian Cricket and the Indian Team to the best of my ability," he said. 

(Image: Twitter/@JayShah/AP)