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Indian skipper felt “relieved” as his reign as T20I captain came to an end with the last game of T20 World Cup 2021 against Namibia. Despite India’s early exit from the mega event, the skipper feels that the team has played some “really good cricket”. On the other hand, he rues India’s lack of attacking cricket at the top in the first two overs against Pakistan and New Zealand respectively.
“It's been an honour but things need to be kept at the right perspective. I felt this was the right time to manage my workload. It's been six or seven years of heavy workload and there is a lot of pressure. The guys have been fantastic, I know we haven't got the results here but we have played some really good cricket. The guys have really made my work easier. The way we played the last three games, it's a game of margins - T20 cricket these days. Two overs of attacking cricket at the top is what we were missing in the first two games,” Kohli told presenter Harsha Bhogle in the post-match press conference.
Despite three big wins, India could not qualify for the semi-final as they lagged behind in the points section. The end of India’s T20 World Cup campaign also marks an end of Kohli’s partnership with head coach Ravi Shastri. The skipper thanked the 1983 World Cup-winning member and the support staff including bowling coach Bharat Arun fielding coach R Sridhar and batting coach Vikram Rathour for their efforts over the years. Meanwhile, he also stood by his words after the New Zealand defeat.
“As I said, we weren't brave enough in those games and in the group we were in, it was tough. A big thank you to all those guys (Ravi Shastri and his support staff). They have done a great job over the years, creating such a wonderful environment for the players. People loved to get back to the atmosphere. They have done a really great job,” the 33-year-old said.
On being asked whether he will change the way he is on the field, Kohli said it is “never going to change” till the time he plays cricket. Kohli also explained why he did not come to bat against Namibia in his last match as captain and send Suryakumar Yadav in his place.
“Surya didn't get much game time in this World Cup, so I thought it will be a nice memory to take back. That was the idea,” the skipper concluded.
Kohli ends his T20I career as captain with 32 wins from 50 games including two super over wins. He did not win any ICC tournaments but had an impressive win percentage of 64.58.
