I Wish Virat Kohli Continued As Captain After T20I World Cup 2021 Too, Says Shardul Thakur

Virat Kohli stepping down as T20I captain after the forthcoming T20I World Cup 2021 is the biggest talk in Indian cricket right now. In a recent interview, Indian bowler Shardul Thakur expressed his views on the same. Thakur said that he wish Virat Kohli continued as captain after T20I World Cup 2021 too and called the decision surprising.

Virat Kohli, who has led the national side in all three formats for the last 6-7 years, has decided to step down as a T20I skipper. In his official statement, the 32-year-old player mentioned that he seeks to minimize his workload in the Indian team. He also said that he will continue to give his best efforts as a batsman in the T20I format. He will still be the captain of ODI and Test format.

Also Read: Virat Kohli Is Lying!! Here’s Why It’s More Than ‘Workload Management’ That Led To Virat’s Resignation

I Wish Virat Kohli Continued As Captain After T20I World Cup: Shardul Thakur

In an interview with Times of India, Shardul Thakur said that Virat Kohli stepping down as a T20I skipper was quite surprising news for him.

“It’s quite surprising. I wish he had continued (as captain after the T20 World Cup too), but he has done the job for India since the past few years. So according to him, maybe it’s time to move on as the India T20 captain. I haven’t had the opportunity to speak to him. I would like to congratulate him on his time as the India T20 captain, but only after we win this World Cup. Till then, he is still our captain”, the right-arm medium-pacer said.

Lauding Virat Kohli for his leadership, Shardul Thakur mentioned that he is very supportive and motivates players to perform at their maximum potential.

“My relationship with him is very good. We often joke about a lot of things. At times, I try to pull his leg too, but only if he is in a mood. After all, there are many things that he needs to handle. I like to play under his captaincy. We go through different moods on the field. He has been very supportive and always motivates us to perform to our maximum potential,” Thakur further said.

Shardul Thakur recently gained the limelight during England vs India 4th Test, where he slammed half-centuries in both innings to provide crucial support in batting. He also picked 3 wickets in the match.

Also Read: Dilip Vengsarkar Hopes Virat Kohli Signs Off As India’s T20I Captain On A High Note With A World Cup Win

Although Shardul Thakur played a lot of white-ball cricket for India this year, he could not qualify for the ICC T20I World Cup 2021 squad. However, he is part of the standby players with  Shreyas Iyer and Deepak Chahar. ICC T20I World Cup 2021 will commence in UAE from October 17, right after the upcoming IPL 2021.