Virat Kohli on Saturday (January 15) announced that he is stepping down as the captain of the Indian Test team. The shocking announcement came a day after India's 1-2 Test series defeat to South Africa in Cape Town.
Notably, Virat's next Test outing will also be his 100th in the format and according to a report filed by Hindustan Times, it has been learned that Kohli was offered a farewell match by the Sourav Ganguly-led Board of Control for Cricket India (BCCI) after he informed the body of his decision to step down as Test captain.
As per the report, BCCI officials had come up with an offer for Kohli to have a farewell Test as a skipper along with a gala in Bengaluru (where the forthcoming home series opener versus Sri Lanka will be held next month) during his telephonic conversation.
However, Kohli denied the offer. "One match makes no difference. That’s not how I am,” the batter is reportedly known to have said in his reply.
As per the numbers, Kohli steps down from Test captaincy as the most successful skipper in the longest format of the game for India and fourth overall. Under his time as captain, India played 68 Tests, winning 40, losing 17, and drawing 11 matches, with a win percentage of 58.82 while registering memorable wins in overseas and home conditions.
Only Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting, and Steve Waugh have won more matches than Kohli as captain in Test cricket.
