Virat Kohli's T20I captaincy decision made keeping in mind future roadmap: Sourav Ganguly

In a statement released by the BCCI, Ganguly called Kohli "a true asset for Indian cricket".

"Virat has been a true asset for Indian Cricket and has led with aplomb. He is one of the most successful captains in all the formats. The decision has been made keeping in mind the future roadmap", Ganguly said in his statement.

"We thank Virat for his tremendous performance as the T20I Captain.  We wish him all the best for the upcoming World Cup and beyond and hope that he continues to score plenty of runs for India," he added.

BCCI Secretary Jay Shah said: "We have a clear roadmap for Team India. Considering the workloads and ensuring that we have smooth transition, Mr Virat Kohli has decided to step down as T20I Captain after the upcoming World Cup."

"I have been in discussions with Virat and the leadership team for the last six months and the decision has been thought through. Virat will continue to contribute as a player and as a senior member of the side in shaping the future course of Indian cricket," he said.

Kohli in his statement said the decision was taken considering his workload.

"Understanding workload is a very important thing and considering my immense workload over the last 8-9 years playing all three formats and captaining regularly for (the) last 5-6 years, I feel I need to give myself space to be fully ready to lead the Indian Team in Test and ODI Cricket," he stated.

"I have given everything to the Team during my time as T20 Captain and I will continue to do so for the T20 Team as a batsman moving forward," added the Indian cricket team skipper.

Kohli took over as India's T20I skipper in 2017 after MS Dhoni retired from the role.

His stepping down as the captain was widely speculated over the last few days owing to his average form for the several months.

The T20 World Cup is scheduled to be held in October.