'If you don’t win any title, masses won’t remember you' - Salman Butt questions Virat Kohli's captaincy credentials

A captain might have won tons of bilateral series and league fixtures in big multi-team tournaments, might have also won the highest number of Tests for his nation and be the greatest skipper statistically, but it is the number of trophies in the cabinet that differentiates ordinary and great skippers.

With India losing another ICC event under Virat Kohli’s leadership, the Indian skipper is once again in the spotlight with voices of split captaincy surrounding him. Even though the opinion of the public and pundits might not make any difference to either Kohli or the Indian team management, the ICC trophy drought raises few true questions indeed.

Under Kohli, India has lost each of the three ICC tournaments it participated in. While they went down against arch-rivals Pakistan in the 2017 Champions Trophy final, New Zealand handed them a heartbreaking defeat in the 2019 ODI World Cup semi-final. The eight-wicket loss against the same team in the inaugural World Test Championship final is the third on the list.

Salman Butt, the former Pakistan skipper, delved into what Indian skipper needs if he wishes to add the elusive ICC trophy in his cricketing CV.

For the world a good captain is one who has won big events: Salman Butt

“You can be a very good captain but if you don’t win any title, masses won’t remember you. Maybe you are a good captain and have good plans but your bowler may not be able to execute it. So luck has to be on your side as well. People only remember those who win tournaments,” Butt said on his YouTube channel.

“Sometimes you may not be a great captain but your team may be very good and you may end up winning a major title. So that does not define a captain but for the world, of course, a good captain is one who has won big events.”

“Virat Kohli has not won any ICC title neither has he won the IPL. He is a top-class cricketer, has excellent body language and is aggressive. His energy level is at a different level, and it is evident that he wants to give his best every time he steps out in the middle. But captains should be subtle and not fiery,” the former batsman added.

“We kept hearing during the WTC final, that it is a battle between fire (Virat Kohli) and ice (Kane Williamson). Most top-class captains who have won titles were cool or gesture-less at crunch moments. Virat Kohli is a man full of gestures. Had he won, he would have been praised no end.”