"We all are always behind you" - Virat Kohli's siblings Vikas Kohli, Bhawna Dhingra react after he steps down as India's Test captain

Virat Kohli’s siblings Vikas Kohli and Bhawna Dhingra have reacted to his decision to step down as India’s Test captain on Saturday. Both said they were proud of his journey as leader of the Indian cricket team.

A day after India’s Test series loss to South Africa in Cape Town, Kohli released a statement through social media which informed that he is stepping down as leader from the longer format of the game. The 33-year-old had earlier resigned from the T20I captaincy, while he was sacked as ODI skipper in a rather controversial manner.

Reacting to Kohli’s decision to step down as Test skipper, his brother Vikas commented on Instagram:

“You have made us ( your family ) and the whole nation proud… am really proud of you bhai… as i know what it takes to be out there and absorb everything from judgments to a lot more…. You have held your head high and believed in your team and your dream…. We all are always behind you … GOD BLESS YOU… PROUD OF YOU CHAMP … ALWAYS.”

The superstar batter’s sister Bhawna shared Kohli’s resignation statement on her Instagram story and wrote:

“So proud of your journey as a captain. Completely trust your decision making.”

Kohli’s decision to step down means he ends his stint as India’s captain without an ICC trophy. Under him, India lost the 2017 Champions Trophy final as well as the inaugural World Test Championship (WTC) final, apart from going down in the semis of the 2019 World Cup.

What Virat Kohli said while announcing his resignation

Taking to his official social media handles, Kohli said that it is the right time for him to step down from the responsibility of Test captaincy. His statement read:

"It's been seven years of hard work, toil and relentless perseverance every day to take the team in the right direction. I've done the job with absolute honesty and left nothing out there."

The 33-year-old further said:

"Everything has to come to a halt at some stage, and for me as Test captain of India, it's now. There have been many ups and also some downs along the journey but never has there been a lack of effort or lack of belief."

The Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) put out a tweet congratulating Kohli on his stint as skipper.

The experienced batter led India in 68 matches, of which the team won 40. He holds the record for having led India to the most Test wins.