The day my intensity drops, I will stop playing cricket: Virat Kohli

India ended their T20 World Cup campaign with a comfortable win over Namibia on Monday (November 8). It also marked the end of Virat Kohli‘s T20I captaincy tenure as he had announced before the tournament that he will stepping down from the helm. He led India in the format for the 50th time on the day and the team registered 30th win under his leadership.

Speaking after the match is the presentation ceremony, the 33-year-old stated it has been an honour to lead the country always. However, he reckoned that this was the right time for him to manage his immense workload and look to play freely. Kohli also lauded his teammates for making his life easier with their consistent performances.

“It’s been a honor 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,” he said.

I have always loved to contribute to the team, says Virat Kohli

Virat Kohli, however, has assured that the intensity and the aggression on the field will never drop. The man vowed to stop playing cricket the day he feels those aspects of his game are not up to the mark. “That (his aggression) is never going to change. The day it does, I’ll stop playing cricket. Even before I became captain, I have always loved to contribute in some way or the other,” the Indian skipper further added.

Meanwhile, Kohli’s successor is not yet officially announced but Ravi Shastri indirectly confirmed at the post-match presser that Rohit Sharma will most likely take over the captaincy. In that case, it remains to be seen if he will play or opt to rest in the upcoming T20I series against New Zealand starting from November 17. Team India is also slated to play two Tests against the same team from November 25.