Sourav Ganguly breaks silence on Kohli quitting Test captaincy: 'Decision is personal'

Virat Kohli on Saturday shocked the cricket fraternity by deciding to step down from the Test captaincy following the conclusion of the three-match Test series against South Africa. The 33-year-old who is India's successful Test skipper ended his reign by losing the three-match Test series 1-2.

The resignation by Virat Kohli comes on the back of exchanges between him and the BCCI. The exchange started with his T20I resignation before the 2021 World Cup. In December 2021, the BCCI then stripped Kohli of the ODI captaincy, naming Rohit Sharma as the new leader.

Sourav Ganguly's message after Virat Kohli steps down as Test skipper

Virat Kohli took over the captaincy back in 2015 following the shocking retirement of MS Dhoni in Australia. He then went onto become India's most successful Test captain ever. Following Virat Kohli's decision to step down as the Test skipper BCCI president Sourav Ganguly took to twitter and thanked the cricketer for his services. 

He wrote, "Under Virats leadership, Indian cricket has made rapid strides in all formats of the game ..his decision is a personal one and BCCI respects it immensely ..he will be an important member to take this team to newer heights in the future.A great player.well done ".

Virat Kohli quits Test captaincy 

Virat Kohli in his statement following the resignation wrote, "It's been seven years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I have done this job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there. Everything has to come to a halt at some stage and for me as the 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 per cent in everything I do, and if I can't do that, I know it's not the right thing to do. I have absolute clarity in my heart and I cannot be dishonest to my team," added Kohli. 

He further wrote, "I want to thank the BCCI for giving me the opportunity to lead my country for such a long period of time and more importantly to all the teammates who bought into the vision I had for the team from Day One and never gave up in any situation. You guys have made this journey so memorable and beautiful. To Ravi Bhai and the support group who were the engine behind this vehicle that moved us upwards in Test cricket consistently, you all have played a massive role in bringing this vision to life. Lastly, a big thank you to MS Dhoni who believed in me as a captain and found me to be an able individual who could take Indian Cricket forward,"