What did the current Indian team members say after Virat Kohli's shock captaincy relinquishment?

Virat Kohli stunned cricket fans on Saturday when he announced his decision to step down as India’s Test captain. The move came a day after India went down against South Africa in the Cape Town Test. The seven-wicket loss means the visitors’ hunt for their maiden Test series win in the Rainbow Nation got elongated. Led by Kohli, India had gone down 1-2 during their previous visit in 2017-18 as well.

The 33-year-old announced his decision to quit as Test captain through an official statement he released on his social media handles. Kohli opined that this was the right time for him to step down. He had earlier quit the T20I leadership as well when he was sacked as ODI captain in a rather controversial manner.

Kohli holds the record for being India’s most successful Test captain, having led the team to victory in 40 out of 68 matches.

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Virat Kohli quits as Test captain: Teammates react

A number of his current teammates showered praise on their former captain through social media posts. Here is a compilation:

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Ravichandran Ashwin: The veteran off-spinner said Kohli’s legacy as captain will stand for the kind of benchmarks he has set. Ashwin wrote:

“Cricket captains will always be spoken about with respect to their records and the kind of triumphs they managed, but your legacy as a captain will stand for the kind of benchmarks you have set. There will be people who will talk about wins in Australia, England, Sl etc etc."

Ashwin added in praise of the former captain:

"Wins are just a result and the seeds are always sown well before the harvest! The seeds you managed to sow is the kind of standard you set for yourself and hence set the expectations straight with the rest of us. Well done @virat.kohli on the headache you have left behind for your successor and that’s my biggest takeaway from your stint as captain. “We must leave a place at such an altitude that the future can only take it higher from there on “

Rohit Sharma: The man tipped to take over from Kohli expressed shock but wished his former captain the best. He posted:

“Shocked!! But congratulations on a successful stint as Indian captain. @virat.kohli.”

KL Rahul: Describing Kohli as a leader in every sense, opener KL Rahul wrote:

“A leader in every sense. Can’t thank you enough for all that you’ve done, Skip. @virat.kohli.”

Cheteshwar Pujara: The Indian no.3, who got solid backing from the former skipper through his lean run, said Kohli could be proud of his tenure. He posted a message which read:

“Congrats Virat, on a captaincy tenure you can truly be proud of! You have driven Indian cricket to greater heights, and am sure have a lot more to contribute. Wishing you the very best!”

Ajinkya Rahane: The former Test vice-captain stated that he has shared a lot of special memories with Kohli. He wrote:

“Congrats on a fantastic captaincy stint Virat. Lots of special memories. Wishing you the best always!”

Ishant Sharma: The tall pacer, who, like Kohli, hails from Delhi, shared a heartfelt note on social media. Recalling his memories with the 33-year-old, he posted:

“Thank you for all the memories I've shared with you in dressing room , on and off the field since childhood, where we never thought that you would be our captain and I'll play 100 test matches for India. All we did was just play cricket with all our heart and things worked out well. From No. 7 and hardly winning any series in sena countries to our current standing as the Indian team you have done tremendous job as a Captain.”

He added:

“I still remember back 2017 in South Africa, where u told me its high time to win series in these countries. Yes, we didn’t win 2017-18 series in Africa, but we went to Australia and beat Australia in Australia. In England 2017-18 series says we lost 4-1, but we know as team how close we came!! So cheers to your most successful Test Captaincy for India and thanks for the amazing memories as a Captain you have given us. @virat.kohli.”

Mohammed Shami: The Bengal pacer, who turned into a match-winning pacer during Kohli’s tenure, congratulated the ex-leader on a brilliant run as Team India captain. He wrote:

“The epitome of leadership. The man who galvanised a team to win overseas. Congratulations on a brilliant run as Team India captain. Looking forward to more from you with the bat - Go well Virat @virat.kohli #virat #mshami11 #teamindia.”

Jasprit Bumrah: Team India’s pace spearhead described captain Kohli’s contribution as invaluable. He posted:

“Integrity, insight and inclusivity. Your contribution to the team as captain is invaluable, you’ve been a great leader to this side. It’s been a pleasure playing under you.”

Umesh Yadav: The fast bowler wrote that the former captain made India a dominant force. His tribute read:

“You led the team to achieve unprecedented heights, No. 1 test team for so many years and made them a dominant force to reckon with. I know that in your next chapter, you will continue to contribute the same way and reap more success for the country. All the best Skip. Been a pleasure.”

Shikhar Dhawan: The senior limited-overs batter described playing under Kohli as a pleasure. He wrote:

"Congratulations on taking the Indian team all the way to the top! Been a pleasure playing under your leadership, Virat! @virat.kohli."

Mayank Agarwal: The Test opener credited Kohli with creating a winning mentality in the team. His post read:

"Congratulations @virat.kohli on a fantastic term as captain. It was an absolute honour playing under your leadership. Someone who led by example. You have created a winning mentality in everyone. Your passion and dedication towards the game is an inspiration. Thank you, Skips."

Hanuma Vihari: Sharing Kohli’s resignation letter, the middle-order batter commented:

“Thank you for everything skip!”

Under Kohli, India won their first-ever Test series in Australia in 2018-19 and were leading 2-1 in England last year when the final Test was canceled. India also finished runners-up in the World Test Championship (WTC) final.