Jacques Kallis backs Virat Kohli for limited overs captaincy

Jacques Kallis backs Virat Kohli for limited overs captaincy: The showdown Mahatma Gandhi – Nelson Mandela series between India and South Africa will commence from October 2. Ahead of the series there have been stark rumors of Virat Kohli replacing the Indian limited overs skipper MS Dhoni in both ODI and T20I format as the captain of the side. After hearing whispers relation to this change in leadership, the South African legend and Virat Kohli’s former Royal Challenger’s Bangalore (RCB) team-mate Jacques Kallis said he backs Kohli to take over limited overs captaincy.

The man with 25,534 runs and 577 wickets in international cricket was quoted by Indian Express saying, “I am sure Virat has the ability to lead India in all three formats. He will have to start somewhere and take over from MS (Dhoni). Only time will tell whether this move will work or backfire, but he comes across as a player who thrives under pressure. So Virat is the right choice, and he must give it a go.”

The India v South Africa series will encompass 3 T20Is, 5 ODI matches and 4 Tests. Kallis also opened up about the Indian side ahead of the tour. He said that, “India are a good team, especially at home. I will not read much into their series win against Sri Lanka. But I am happy that we [South Africa] will be playing a full length four-match Test series. And my experience says, in a four-game series, the side that plays the best brand of cricket, wins. So it will be an interesting series for sure.”

It is notable that South Africa has never won a bilateral ODI series in India while their last Test series win against India came on the 1999/2000 tour. Talking about the South African squad for this tour the former Protea all-rounder said, “Touring India and coming back with a win is always a tough task. I believe the selectors have chosen the best side, which has the ability to compete against India. This time, we have beefed up the spin options as well, so I think this squad has got everything covered. That’s what makes it a balanced one.”