Former Indian team head coach Ravi Shastri has issued a shocking assessment of Virat Kohli's decision to relinquish his Test captaincy. After India lost the Test series to South Africa, Virat Kohli announced his resignation as captain of the team.

The timing of Kohli's decision surprised everyone, and Shastri agrees that he could have continued for '2 more years,' but he also hinted that certain 'people would not have been able to digest that.'

Virat Kohli has been at odds with the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) since announcing his intention to step down as T20I captain. He was later relieved of his duties as ODI captain, and Rohit Sharma was appointed in his place.

The Delhi-born batsman also publicly refuted Sourav Ganguly's claims that he personally requested Virat not to relinquish his T20I captaincy. According to Ravi Shastri, this entire drama could have prompted Virat Kohli to step aside so that he could focus on his batting.

The former Indian all-rounder stated in an interview with India Today, "Is it possible that Virat could have continued to lead India in Tests? He could have led India for at least two years because India will be playing at home for the next two years and who is coming over - 9 and 10 jacks, according to the rankings. However, he would have led the team to 50-60 wins under his captaincy, which many people will find difficult to accept."

Shastri went on to say, "He could have continued for another two years, but we must respect his decision. This kind of record would be incredible in any other country. You won against Australia, England, and South Africa, but there is still debate about whether he should be a captain or not."

Ravi Shastri explained why Virat Kohli decided to give up the captaincy and concentrate on his batting by citing the examples of former greats.

"So he only knows how much he likes being captain. When Sachin Tendulkar and MS Dhoni became dissatisfied with their captaincy, they left. Similarly, when Virat thought he had won 40 matches, he had been leading for six years and now he just wants to enjoy his cricket. He wants to concentrate on his batting and relieve some stress, which is common in many people "Shastri stated.