Last Updated: March 01, 2023, 13:57 IST
Virat Kohli spent time in nets ahead of 2nd Test (AFP Image)
Former Pakistan captain Salman Butt lashed out at those who questioned Kohli’s performance as the India skipper
Star India batter Virat Kohli might have failed to win an ICC tournament as the captain of his side but there has been hardly any doubt about his leadership prowess. The former India skipper had recently revealed that he was considered a ‘failed captain’ by many. Former Pakistan cricketer Salman Butt has now opened up on the matter.
Butt, who has led Pakistan in the international circuit, lashed out at those who questioned Kohli’s performance as the India skipper. Butt feels it would be unfair to gauge Kohli’s captaincy skills based on Team India’s performance in ICC tournaments.
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“People who do not understand the game of cricket very well judge a captain’s performance based on how he has fared in the Champions Trophy or the World Cup. However, if you have a good win percentage and are tactically very strong, but haven’t won a big tournament, it wouldn’t be fair to say that you haven’t been a good captain,” Salman Butt was quoted as saying on his YouTube channel.
Virat Kohli, one of the finest batters ever to grace the field of cricket, was appointed as India’s Test captain in 2014. Kohli later replaced MS Dhoni as India’s white-ball captain in 2017. Indian cricket team, under Kohli’s captaincy, finished as runners-up at the Champions Trophy in 2017.
Kohli guided Team India to the semi-finals of the 50-over World Cup in 2019 but he failed to win the much-coveted trophy in England then. The scene did not change much in the longest format of the game either. The Kohli-led side had to face a defeat at the hands of New Zealand in the summit clash of the inaugural ICC World Test Championship.
The 34-year-old had stepped down as India captain in the shortest format of the game ahead of the T20 World Cup in 2021. In December 2021, Rohit Sharma replaced him as the ODI captain of the side. Kohli eventually relinquished India’s Test captaincy duties in January last year following his side’s defeat against South Africa.
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Virat Kohli recently recalled his stint as India’s captain. “Look, you play to win tournaments. I captained in Champions Trophy 2017 (reached the final), 2019 World Cup (reached the semifinal), I captained in World Test Championship (reached the final), and T20 World Cup in 2021 (failed to qualify for the knockouts). After three (four) ICC tournaments, I was considered as a failed captain,” Kohli was quoted as saying on the RCB podcast.
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