Virat Kohli yet to impress a former Indian cricketer as a captain

He is not far from becoming the most successful captain India has ever produced in Tests. Although Virat Kohli as a batsman has won many hearts, his performance as a captain of the side has always come under the scanner. Even the former Indian cricketer Gundappa Vishwanath feels that Kohli can improve even more as the leader of the pack in all the formats.

Kohli has led India to 23 victories in 41 Tests with a success percentage of 54.76 which is by far the best among all players who have captained the country till date (with a minimum of two matches). Only his immediate predecessor Mahendra Singh Dhoni has registered more wins than him with 27 out of 60. In ODIs, captain Kohli has seen India winning 39 out of 52 matches while in the shortest format, he has led India to 11 wins in 17 matches.

Though Kohli’s captaincy record is statistically impressive, Viswanath feels the former is yet to prove that he is the best captain. The 69-year-old, who was known for his wristy batting skills, said he would like to see Kohli win a series abroad.

Kohli has to win a series abroad

“He is doing really well, but he is yet to prove that he’s the best. He has to win a series abroad. He has come closer, a couple of times, but still, he hasn’t done yet. As a batsman, he has proved in all conditions. In the recent England tour, he showed us how good can he be. There are more expectations from Kohli the captain. He is still young as a leader. But I am confident he will reach that stage one day,” Deccan Chronicle quoted Viswanath as saying.

Kohli led India to major overseas Test series this year but failed to win both. His side lost to South Africa in their den earlier this year by a 1-2 margin. In August-September, Team India competed well in the five-match series in England but lost by 1-4. Kohli himself excelled as the batsman in both the series, finishing as his team’s highest scorer, but India could not capitalise on his performance.

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