Virat Kohli took to social media to announce his decision to step down as India's Test captain. But he informed the team in a meeting after the Test in Cape Town, said Jasprit Bumrah, India's vice-captain for ODIs against South Africa.
"We have been very close as a team unit. He told us in a meeting that he will be stepping down from the Test captaincy. He informed us of this as a team and we respect his decision and value his leadership a lot," said Bumrah in the virtual press conference on Monday.
"We congratulated him as a team for his contribution to the Test team as a leader and wished him all the best. This was the conversation we had with him."
His comments come after Kohli announced on Saturday that he will step down from the Test captaincy with immediate effect. The upcoming three-match ODI series against South Africa, starting from Wednesday in Paarl, will be his first white-ball series as a player.
"See, I am not here to give a judgement about his decision. But yes, it's a personal decision and we respect his decision. He knows how his body is reacting and what frame of mind he is in," said Bumrah.
"We respect that and it's been an immense pleasure to play under his leadership as I made my Test debut. He brings a lot of energy to the side. He will always be a leader in the group and his contribution has been immense and will be immense going further as well."
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