Former India cricketer Kapil Dev has said that Virat Kohli should have spoken to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) and the selectors before taking the decision to step down as the T20 skipper after the ICC T20I World Cup, scheduled in the UAE and Oman later this year.
Kohli has taken the decision to manage his workload, which has been quite high in the last 5-6 years as he has led India in all three formats. Though he has been playing in all three formats for "last 8-9 years", Kohli will continue to do so and said he will continue to contribute as a batsman in T20s.
The 1983 World Cup-winning captain, Kapil Dev, said on Friday that, "These days it is a bit surprising to see cricketers making decisions from themselves. I think a player should talk to the selectors and board before making such decisions. I feel a bit odd as he is a great captain and player. Virat is an important player and I wish him all the good luck."
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In his statement posted on social media, Kohli had said, "I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey as the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team. I couldn't have done it without them -- the boys, the support staff, the selection committee, my coaches and each and every Indian who prayed for us to win.
"Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket," Virat had written on Instagram.
While Kapil said that one should fully respected Kohli's honesty, he added that he failed to understand why Kohli didn't consult the Board.
"I think we should respect Virat's honesty about his decision to express that he doesn't want to be captain anymore, Dhoni had done a similar thing before. However, a board usually tells a player what to do but nowadays players make their own decision, i fail to understand this," the former India skipper said.