"Forever Changed Indian Cricket": Ajaz Patel Hails Virat Kohli's Captaincy, Compares Him With Brendon McCullum

Social media has been buzzing ever since Virat Kohli decided to step down as India's Test captain. New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel also joined in the discussion but had a different take on the unexpected development. Taking to Twitter, he compared Kohli to Brendon McCullum and lauded the 33-year-old for changing Indian cricket. "Congrats to @imVkohli on your tenure as @BCCI  captain, the legacy and direction you leave behind has forever changed Indian cricket. Much like we saw @BLACKCAPS  by @Bazmccullum", wrote Patel.

Congrats to @imVkohli on your tenure as @BCCI captain, the legacy and direction you leave behind has forever changed Indian cricket. ???????? Much like we saw @BLACKCAPS by @Bazmccullum

— ajaz patel (@AjazP) January 17, 2022

Kohli stepped down as India's Test skipper a day after the 1-2 defeat to South Africa in their three-match red-ball series. The BCCI haven't announced a new Test captain yet.

Kohli also released a statement on social media to explain his decision.

After taking over Test captaincy from MS Dhoni in the middle of the 2014-15 Australia tour, Kohli led India to the no. 1 Test spot and also registered 40 wins in 68 games with a win percentage of 58.82 - the most by an Indian captain. 

McCullum captained New Zealand in 31 Tests, winning 11 games, losing 11 and drawing nine. His win percentage of 35.48 is the third-highest for any Blackcaps captain with over 10 matches as Test skipper.

Earlier, Kohli had also stepped down from T20I captaincy after the T20 World Cup last year. He was also removed from ODI captaincy after the T20 World Cup. The BCCI announced Rohit Sharma as India's new full-time white-ball captain in December last year.

Topics mentioned in this article

Virat Kohli Ajaz Patel Brendon McCullum Cricket