'His contribution has been immense,' Twitter reacts to Virat Kohli stepping down as T20I captain

India captain Virat Kohli announced Thursday  that he will give up India’s Twenty20 captaincy after the World Cup that starts next month.

“I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian team in Test and ODI cricket,” Kohli said on Twitter.

The 32-year-old, who became limited-overs captain after M.S. Dhoni stepped aside in 2017, has faced pressure over his failure to win India either the World Cup, Champions Trophy or T20 World Cup.

Kohli is set to lead his Indian Premier League side Royal Challengers Bangalore (RCB) in the T20 tournament which resumes Sunday in the UAE after a four-month pandemic suspension.

Here’s how Twitter reacted to the news:

Jay Shah thanked Kohli for his contribution

Thanks @imVKohli for your contribution as the #TeamIndia captain. As a young talent the focus and determination you have showed as the captain is unmatched. The most impressive aspect was the way of maintaining balance between captaincy and individual performance.

— Jay Shah (@JayShah) September 16, 2021

Kohli received praise for a job well done

Virat Kohli to step down as T20 captain, confirmed by the man himself. So much respect, his contribution has been immense. https://t.co/iEOs53ehjq

— Chloe-Amanda Bailey (@ChloeAmandaB) September 16, 2021

Virat's intensity was insane. I had thought he would give up the captaincy of #RCB which would give him two months off as leader. Hopefully this can give his mind the rest it needs and who knows, find him another peak as a T20 batsman.

— Harsha Bhogle (@bhogleharsha) September 16, 2021

Virat Kohli’s contribution to the Indian T20 cricket team as captain was immense. It can never be forgotten. This is his personal decision and we respect it. @imVkohli @BCCI https://t.co/JtGIcJBkom

— Rajeev Shukla (@ShuklaRajiv) September 16, 2021

Captain Kohli has decided to give up captaincy of 🇮🇳 in T20Is after the #T20WorldCup in 🇦🇪.

A fearless and selfless leader who always puts the team ahead of himself. 🙌🏻#PlayBold #WeAreChallengers #TeamIndia pic.twitter.com/MUpFtxtqTG

— Royal Challengers Bangalore (@RCBTweets) September 16, 2021

This is really heartbreaking but lets respect his decision
We all love you Virat
One of the best cricketers of our generations
I’ll always be your fan sir🔥 https://t.co/eukXQ25U45

— Ashish Chanchlani (@ashchanchlani) September 16, 2021

His incredible stats and accomplishments as captain were the talk of the town

Virat Kohli as captain in T20I:

Matches - 45
Wins - 27
Lost - 14
Win % - 65.11

While having such a great record, it takes lots of heart to step down as the captain at the age of 32. All the best in ODI and Test format as a captain.

— Johns. (@CricCrazyJohns) September 16, 2021

Virat Kohli is the Only Asian Captain to Win T20 Series - In Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and England.

— CricketMAN2 (@ImTanujSingh) September 16, 2021

A few lauded Kohli for taking the decision

Not entirely unexpected. Many Stories swirling around, pressure was building up. whether Kohli felt he was being pushed into a corner and played this hand I don’t know but good decision all things considered. Reduced burden on him and gives team a fresh mind to lead https://t.co/GeVoEO3AVu

— Cricketwallah (@cricketwallah) September 16, 2021

Superb decision... Backend of career, Virat needs to grow his legend as the best batsman across formats even further. 👏👏 https://t.co/2mypG1SsLJ

— Chetan Narula (@chetannarula) September 16, 2021

With inputs from AFP