3 reasons why Virat Kohli was one of the best captains to have led India
August 18, 2022, marks Virat Kohli's 14th anniversary in international cricket. The Delhi cricketer made his international debut against Sri Lanka back in Dambulla in 2008.
Despite not having a great outing against a quality Lankan attack in that match, the right-handed batter soon managed to fight his way into India's limited-overs setup.
A year later, he notched up his maiden ODI century at Eden Gardens against the same opposition, partnering up with fellow Delhi cricketer Gautam Gambhir to chase down a mammoth 317-run target.
2011 saw Virat Kohli make his much-awaited Test debut against West Indies, and it wasn't long before he made his mark in the longest format as well. MS Dhoni's retirement from Tests in 2014 paved the way for Kohli's reign as the Men in Blue's Test skipper.
After assuming full-time captaincy in 2017, the right-handed batter carried his success in the longest format to white-ball cricket and never looked back.
With that in mind, let's take a look at three reasons why Kohli is the best captain to have led India:
#1 Nurturing India's pace attack
While India did produce talented fast bowlers like Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan, it was during Virat Kohli's tenure that the team finally got a rich pool of quicks. The likes of Jasprit Bumrah, Mohammad Shami, and Umesh Yadav, among others, all prospered under the Delhi cricketer's captaincy.
This was largely the reason behind the Men in Blue's improved track record in overseas conditions in the last five years or so. Under him, India won 40 out of 68 Tests, a major part of which belongs to the Indian fast bowlers.
#2 Leading from the front
The hallmark of a good skipper is the ability to lead by example. When MS Dhoni stepped down from the captaincy, Virat Kohli was well aware of the big shoes he had to fill.
Dhoni, as we all know, has a stellar record as a skipper, especially in limited overs. Having won the T20 World Cup, the 50-over World Cup and the Champions Trophy, Dhoni is the only skipper in the history of the sport to have won all ICC trophies.
Despite the weight of expectations riding on his shoulders, Virat Kohli grabbed the opportunity with both hands and inspired confidence among his teammates by leading from the front.
Kohli, who only recently saw his average in Tests dip below 50, scored seven double hundreds as India's skipper, creating a new record for most double hundreds by a skipper in Tests. He also boasted an unreal batting average of 72.65 as skipper in ODIs.
#3 Virat Kohli's hunger for winning games
Irrespective of how great a skipper is, they will always be judged by the number of wins they have under their belt. An interesting aspect of Virat Kohli's captaincy was the hunger to win games even in the most unfavorable conditions.
The Delhi cricketer instilled an aggressive-minded approach in the team from the very onset of his captaincy. Under him, the Men in Blue no longer played for draws, opting for a never-give-up attitude even if it meant losing a few matches.
The players, especially the bowlers, rallied around their skipper to push for a win by going for wickets rather than trying to save runs.
Virat Kohli's style of captaincy was once again evident during India's memorable win against England at Lord's last year. Having set England a target of 272 to win in 60 overs on the final day, Kohli delivered a fiery speech to his teammates before taking the field.
The former Indian skipper was heard saying:
"If I see someone laughing, then see! For 60 overs they should feel hell out there."
The speech seemed to have rubbed off on the team as India went on to dismiss the hosts for 120 runs, with Mohammed Siraj claiming four wickets.