Kohli's decision 'well-thought-out', perfect occasion for him to win ICC title: Saba Karim

By Vishesh Roy
New Delhi [India], September 16 : After Virat Kohli announced to step down as the T20I skipper after the upcoming World Cup, former national selector Saba Karim has said that the decision will make him strive even harder towards winning an ICC title this year.
Speaking to ANI, Karim said that it is not easy for one person to be a captain across all three formats.
"He must have thought about it for a long time, he must have felt that the workload is increasingly getting a bit too much and these days, all three formats having a different championship, it is not easy for one person to be a captain across all three formats. This must be a well-thought-out decision and I am sure he wants to contribute as a batter now to the national team in T20 also," Karim, who has seen Kohli from close quarters told ANI.
Earlier on Thursday, Kohli announced that he would step down as the T20I skipper of the national side after the T20 World Cup slated to be played in the UAE in October-November this year.
When asked whether the outside noise would have affected Kohli's decision to leave captaincy in the shortest format, Karim replied: "I do not think that the kind of experience Virat has and the kind of relationship he has had with Rohit, the outside noise would have not affected him. It is a personal decision, he must have realised that he is leading the side across all the formats and it does take its toll."
"Travelling, being with the team and more so with this bubble fatigue setting in. He is a family man now and it is not easy for him to lead the national side in all three formats. In his tweet, he has clearly stated that he would like to continue as Test and ODI captain so I think one needs to respect his decision and move forward," he added.
Replying to whether Kohli's decision will make him even more determined to win an ICC title, Saba said: "I think it should work in a different way altogether, it should propel the team members to give it the best shot so that they can give Virat Kohli a perfect farewell to his captaincy by winning the World Cup and that is what Virat will strive for because he is yet to win an ICC championship and it is the perfect occasion for him to do that for his side."
Kohli explained his decision to leave the T20I captaincy in a statement on Twitter. The India skipper said he needs to give himself space in order to play all three formats for the country.
"I have been fortunate enough to not only represent India but also lead the Indian Cricket Team to my utmost capability. I thank everyone who has supported me in my journey as the Captain of the Indian Cricket Team," Kohli said in a statement.
"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.
"Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all 3 formats and captaining regularly for last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket. 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," he added.
Kohli said he arrived at his decision after discussing with head coach Ravi Shastri and opening batsman Rohit Sharma.
The T20 World Cup will get underway from October 17, with the final to be played in Dubai on November 14.