Virat Kohli to step down as India T20I captain after T20 World Cup

The 32-year-old cited the need to give himself space in order to continue his duties as Test and ODI captain to the fullest of his abilities

Virat Kohli will stand down as India's T20I skipper at the end of the T20 World Cup in UAE.

Kohli, who has scored in 3,159 T20I runs for his country, revealed his decision via a message on Twitter.

The 32-year-old cited the need to "give myself space" in order to continue his duties as Test and ODI captain to the fullest of his abilities.

🇮🇳 ❤️ pic.twitter.com/Ds7okjhj9J

— Virat Kohli (@imVkohli) September 16, 2021

Kohli has captained India in 45 T20Is to date, with only MS Dhoni (72) leading the team on more occasions.

"I have given everything to the team during my time as T20 captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 team as a batsman moving forward," Kohli stated.

"I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey as the captain of the Indian cricket team. I couldn't have done it without them - the boys, the support staff, the selection committee, my coaches and each and every Indian who prayed for us to win."