The constant pressure of leading India and Royal Challengers Bengaluru for nearly a decade and the relentless scrutiny around his batting “became too much in the end” for Virat Kohli, who says he stepped down from leadership to be in a “happy space”.

Kohli resigned as T20 captain after the World Cup in 2021, following which he also relinquished RCB’s leadership role. A year later, he quit Test captaincy following the defeat to South Africa.