The news about Virat Kohli quitting India’s cricketing captaincy comes as a great shock. He is one of the best cricketers in the world, a brilliant batter and strategist. Under his leadership, India has won many matches and tournaments at home and abroad. He has a lot of cricket in him and is a great asset for the country.

India lost the test-series to South Africa, just two days ago. So, what? There is no point in being over-critical of Virat, for this loss. After all, there is an element of chance in every game. Virat has won many matches for India. He is a role model for cricketers across the world and even youngsters aspiring for a cricketing or sports career.

Virat should not get upset at some caustic comments, on losing a match. All of us go through tough times in life. However, we need to hang on during tough times and show grit. Virat has contributed a lot to cricket and India. He should remain focused and become a bit more thick-skinned. Virat has 160 million followers on Instagram, even more than the Indian Prime Minister Modi, at about 65 million. Virat should also be more practical. He is one of the highest paid advertising sports personalities globally, for his various product endorsements. He reportedly charges $680,000 for an Instagram post, which is about Rs5 crores. Virat’s marketing value could take a beating if he is not the captain of the Indian team.  I do hope that the BCCI and the cricket authorities will persuade Virat to withdraw his resignation and continue captaining the Indian team.

Rajendra Aneja
Mumbai, India