BCCI President Sourav Ganguly hailed Virat Kohli for being a "true asset" to Indian cricket, after the 32-year-old announced that he would be stepping down as Team India's captain from the shortest format of the game after the ICC T20 World Cup. Ganguly also thanked the Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) skipper for his performance as India's T20I captain, and wished him luck. "Virat has been a true asset for Indian Cricket and has led with aplomb. He is one of the most successful captains in all the formats. The decision has been made keeping in mind the future roadmap", Ganguly said via an official BCCI statement.
"We thank Virat for his tremendous performance as the T20I Captain. We wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup and beyond and hope that he continues to score plenty of runs for India", he further added.
Kohli took over as India's T20I skipper in 2017 after MS Dhoni left the role. He will also be leading the national team in the upcoming T20 World Cup for the first time. Despite being one of the greatest batsman in modern-day cricket, Kohli hasn't been able to lead India to an ICC title, yet.
He will continue to lead India in Tests and ODIs.
Meanwhile, BCCI Honorary Secretary Jay Shah reassured Indian cricket fans that the transition would be smooth, and the management was prepared for this situation.
"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," Shah was quoted in BCCI's official statement.