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'Well done Kohli on the headache you have left behind for your successor'
'You have created a winning mentality in everyone'
Senior India off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin not only possesses one of the greatest minds in the game but also a supremely effective and engaging mode of communication.
His series of tweets on Sunday was no different as he praised Virat Kohli and his legacy as captain hours after the latter decided to step as the nation's Test captain.
Kohli, on Saturday, stepped down as India's Test captain after leading the side for seven years. Ashwin said Kohli's legacy as a captain will stand for the kind of benchmarks he has set. The veteran spinner also mentioned his biggest 'takeaway' from Kohli's stint as captain.
"Cricket captains will always be spoken about with respect to their records and the kind of triumphs they managed, but your legacy as a captain will stand for the kind of benchmarks you have set. There will be people who will talk about wins in Australia, England , SL etc etc," Ashwin said in a tweet.
"Wins are just a result and the seeds are always sown well before the harvest! The seeds you managed to sow is the kind of standard you set for yourself and hence set the expectations straight with the rest of us.
"Well done @imVkohli on the headache you have left behind for your successor and that's my biggest takeaway from your stint as captain. 'We must leave a place at such an altitude that the future can only take it higher from there on," he added.
After taking India to unimaginable heights, the 33-year-old decided to call quits on his Test captaincy and not even Rohit Sharma could help but express his emotions on social media.
Early on Sunday morning, India's white-ball skipper Rohit Sharma took to Instagram to share a picture of them batting together in the whites and captioned it as: 'Shocked!! But congratulations on a successful stint as Indian captain. @virat. kohli'.
Meanwhile, Rohit is currently out of the team with a hamstring injury, which he had picked ahead of the departure to South Africa.
Rohit, who was named as India's full-time white-ball captain ahead of the ongoing tour, and was supposed to lead the team in the upcoming three-match ODI series against the Proteas.
Senior India and Delhi pacer Ishant Sharma, who has played with Kohli since childhood, recalled a conversation during the 2017-18 tour of South Africa when Kohli had told him that India needs to start winning in overseas conditions.
"Thank you for all the memories I've shared with you in dressing room & on & off the field since childhood, where we never thought that you would be our captain & I'll play 100 test matches for India. All we did was just play cricket with all our heart & things worked out well."
"I still remember back 2017 in South Africa, where u told me it's high time to win series in these countries. Yes, we didn't win 2017-18 series in Africa, but we went to Australia & beat them in Australia. In England 2017-18 series we lost, but we know as team how close we came!"
"So cheers to your most successful Test Captaincy for India and thanks for the amazing memories as a Captain you have given us," Ishant wrote.
India's fast bowling revolution in Tests began under Kohli, who always backed his pacers. Jasprit Bumrah and Mohammad Shami were quick to thank the former skipper for his contributions.
"Integrity, insight and inclusivity. Your contribution to the team as captain is invaluable, you've been a great leader to this side. It's been a pleasure playing under you," Bumrah said.
"The epitome of leadership. The man who galvanised a team to win overseas Congratulations on a brilliant run as Team India captain. Looking forward to more from you with the bat - Go well Virat," Shami tweeted.
Openers Shikhar Dhawan, KL Rahul and Mayank Agarwal also congratulated Kohli on an illustrious captaincy stint.
"Congratulations on taking the Indian team all the way to the top! Been a pleasure playing under your leadership, Virat!," Dhawan tweeted.
"A leader in every sense. Can't thank you enough for all that you've done, Skip," said Rahul.
"Congratulations Virat Kohli on a fantastic term as captain. It was an absolute honour playing under your leadership. Someone who led by example. You have created a winning mentality in everyone. Your passion and dedication towards the game is an inspiration. Thank you, Skips," Agarwal said.