Virat Kohli resigns: Rohit Sharma NEW KING of Indian cricket – January 15, 2022 will be marked as the day when the KING of Indian Cricket relinquished his throne after a remarkable tenure. As a captain, it is the end of KING KOHLI. But a few kilometres from his house in Bandra, his decision to step down as captain will be the rise of a NEW KING – Rohit Sharma as the Mumbaikar is all set to take over as the captain of all three formats. Follow India vs South Africa Live Updates on InsideSport.IN.
Virat Kohli Resigns: ‘Miffed’ Kohli informed his team on Friday about ‘QUITTING…
“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,” Virat Kohli said in a statement announcing his decision to step down as India’s Test captain.
Virat Kohli resigns: Virat Kohli passes the baton, Rohit Sharma set to be NEW KING of Indian cricket
— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) January 15, 2022
Before the World Cup in 2019, Virat Kohli was the undisputed king of Indian cricket. He took the shots — team selection, prioritising tournaments and even coach selection (Ravi Shastri over Anil Kumble). Two years later, the powers have shifted to Mumbai once again with Rohit Sharma becoming the new King of Indian cricket.
Virat Kohli resigns: Virat Kohli passes the baton, Rohit Sharma set to be NEW KING of Indian cricket
On Saturday, the powershift was complete. Virat Kohli resigned as the Test captain, officially completing his fantastic Test captaincy tenure as the most successful Indian captain. Rohit Sharma, by virtue of being the vice-captain of the Test team, is all set to take over as the Test captain, completing a cycle and powershift.
However, Kohli left a legacy that will be difficult to match by his successor. In 68 Test matches as captain since taking over in 2015, India won 40 matches. India won series in Australia twice while are leading in England. He has the best winning percentage amongst all Indian captains.
| Player | Country | Career | Tests | Won | Lost | Drawn |
| Virat Kohli | India | 2014-22 | 68 | 40 (58.82%) | 17 (25.00%) | 11 (16.18%) |
| MS Dhoni | India | 2005-2014 | 60 | 27 (45.00%) | 18 (30.00%) | 15 (25.00%) |
| Sourav Ganguly | India | 1996-2008 | 49 | 21 (42.86%) | 13 (26.53%) | 15 (30.61%) |
| Mohd Azharuddin | India | 1984-2000 | 47 | 14 (29.79%) | 14 (29.79%) | 19 (40.43%) |
| Sunil Gavaskar | India | 1971-1987 | 47 | 9 (19.15%) | 8 (17.02%) | 30 (63.83%) |
Virat Kohli resigns: Virat Kohli passes the baton, Rohit Sharma set to be NEW KING of Indian cricket
New King of Indian Cricket – Rohit Sharma: Rohit has had a swift rise. After being deemed not good enough for Test cricket, he worked on his technique in red-ball cricket, announcing his arrival with a 177-run knock in 2013.
Since 2013, he guided Mumbai Indians to five IPL titles surpassing MS Dhoni. He was promoted to ODI and T20 vice-captaincy role after MS Dhoni stepped down as the captain and Virat Kohli took over. And now, he has taken over as the Test vice-captain.
Virat Kohli resigns: Virat Kohli passes the baton, Rohit Sharma set to be NEW KING of Indian cricket
Furthermore, the T20 World Cup proved Rohit Sharma’s elevation in stature. Ravichandran Ashwin and Axar Patel were included after his backing while Kohli was left red-faced. It was Rohit Sharma who managed to bind the team together amid players reporting against Virat Kohli.
While many former players have voiced their choices including Sunil Gavaskar batting for Rishabh Pant, it is Rohit Sharma who will ascend to the throne come the Sri Lanka series at home at Virat’s den M Chinnaswamy Stadium. Ironically, it will also be Virat Kohli’s 100th Test match.
Virat Kohli resigns: Virat Kohli passes the baton, Rohit Sharma set to be NEW KING of Indian cricket
Former head coach Ravi Shastri had seen it coming. He predicted Kohli could quit captaincy all together to focus on batting.
“In red ball cricket, India has been the No 1 team in the world for the last 5 years under Virat Kohli. So unless he wants to give up or if he is mentally fatigued and says he wants to focus on his batting – which can happen in the near future,” Ravi Shastri told India Today.
Virat Kohli resigns: Virat Kohli passes the baton, Rohit Sharma set to be NEW KING of Indian cricket
Editor's Pick
Cricket
IND vs AUS 1st Test: Triple strike from Bumrah & co, Virat Kohli's redemption on India's radar on Day 2
Top Stories
