Entering the World T20, 2021, Virat Kohli-led India was the crowd-favourite to lift the trophy. With that line-up, it made sense too.
However, what followed was one disaster after another. We lost the opening match to Pakistan and the second game to New Zealand, which reduced our chances of qualifying for the semi-finals to a minimum.
We needed a miracle after that, but the miracle did not happen and the ouster became official on November 7. With that, it also became clear that Virat Kohli’s captaincy in the T20Is will end without a trophy to his name.
Someone who is as talented and dedicated as him deserved that honour, but some things are simply beyond anyone’s control. This doesn’t take away from his immense contribution to the format, though.
Under Virat’s leadership, the side has played 49 T20Is and won 29, while losing 16. Last year itself, India won the T20I series against New Zealand 5-0.
Apart from this, he is also the only captain from India to win a T20I series in SENA countries. And he has done all this while maintaining an excellent batting record. He scored 1000 runs in 30 innings in the format, which was the quickest for any captain at the time.
So, all in all, his leadership has been more than great, and we are thankful for that. He gave his best every time he stepped on the field, and tried with everything in him, to win.
It was always evident, and will always be.
We wish we could have witnessed him lift the trophy to end things but the fact that it could not happen, should not take away from his excellence.
Nor from his grace. As a captain, he accepted defeat with humility and stood up for his teammates on and off the field, even if it meant that people would go after him.
Virat has stood like a rock in a situation that is far from ideal, and for that, we admire him so much. That being said, we wish he did not have to go through it and do not mean to glorify his courage without context.
Virat has been an exceptional leader of the side and as he steps down from his duty as the leader of the side, today, let’s congratulate the star that he is. Thank you for the contribution, Virat, it was an honour to call you our captain.