But the brand new skipper was lauded for his braveness to go for a win, not a draw.  “I informed the fellows final night time that no matter goal it was, we have been going to chase it,” he said.

– ‘You said it’ -His fiery personality was on show in a dramatic home Test series against Australia in 2017 when Kohli’s opposite number Steve Smith looked up to his dressing room for advice on a DRS call. Kohli was appalled, remonstrating with the umpires and afterwards accusing the visitors of routinely abusing the decision review system. Asked by an Australian journalist if he was implying that Smith — who pleaded a “brain fade” — was a cheat, Kohli snapped again: “I didn’t say it, you probably did.”

– All-conquering –Two years later Kohli led India to their first-ever Test series win in Australia after seven decades of trying — a moment he described as his “best achievement” at that time. His 82 within the first innings of the third Test in Melbourne remained instrumental within the vacationers profitable the match and collection 2-1. Coach Ravi Shastri mentioned Kohli’s management expertise had “made all of the distinction”. India rose to top the Test rankings and stayed there for over three years, beating allcomers home and away with its swashbuckling batting and — unusually for India — its fearsome fast-bowling attack.

– Microphone talk -Kohli found himself in another controversy in his last Test as captain in South Africa when he reacted angrily to an lbw decision turned down by the third umpire. Kohli and others rushed up to the stumps and — in a scene more reminiscent of football than cricket — complained loudly into the microphone.

Pundits slammed Kohli for his on-field antics including former captain Sunil Gavaskar who said the incident was “avoidable”.

– The fall -India’s thrashing by arch rivals Pakistan in final yr’s T20 World Cup and their failure to make the semi-finals appeared to be the ultimate nail in Kohli’s tenure. His stout defence of Muslim teammate Mohammed Shami from social media assaults after the Pakistan loss noticed trolls flip their hatred on Kohli as a substitute. Meanwhile, Kohli’s batting kind dipped, along with his final century relationship again to late 2019, and paired with the stress of life in fixed Covid bubbles he threw within the towel as T20 skipper.