‘You always gave 100% for the team’ – Sachin Tendulkar congratulates Virat Kohli on glorious journey as India’s Test skipper

Former batter Sachin Tendulkar praised Virat Kohli for always putting in whole-hearted efforts on the field. On Saturday, January 15, Kohli took the decision of stepping down as Team India’s Test captain. His decision came a day after India lost to South Africa 1-2 in the three-match Test series. The visitors took a 1-0 lead following their victory at the SuperSport Park in Centurion.

However, the Proteas came back to win the second and third Test in Johannesburg and Cape Town respectively to seal the fate of the series. Kohli, during this while, also missed the second Test at the Wanderers due to a back spasm. After he relinquished Test captaincy, Tendulkar, one of India’s greatest batters, lauded the 33-year-old for scaling new heights for Team India.

Tendulkar took to Twitter and wrote, “Congratulations on a successful stint as a captain, @imVkohli. You always gave 100% for the team and you always will. Wishing you all the very best for the future.”

Sachin Tendulkar’s tweet

Kohli took over as India’s Test skipper in December 2014 and bowed out as their most successful captain in the purest format. After stepping down, he thanked the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) for giving him the chance of leading the national team. He also expressed gratitude towards MS Dhoni for guiding him and showing enough faith in him as the captain.

“I want to thank the BCCI for giving me the opportunity to lead my country for such a long period of time and more importantly to all the teammates who bought into the vision I had for the team from day one and never gave up in any situation. You guys have made this journey so memorable and beautiful.”

“To Ravi Bhai [Shastri] and the support group who were the engine behind this vehicle that moved us upwards in Test cricket consistently, you all have played a massive role in bringing this vision to life. Lastly, a big thank you to MS Dhoni who believed in me as a captain and found me to be an able individual who could take Indian cricket forward.”