5 reasons why Virat Kohli is the most influential captain in cricket
Virat Kohli has achieved the unbelievable. 71 years, 292 players, 29 captains and 31 Test series - this is how the past Asian teams fared in Australia, and yet none of them could achieve Test glory.
Some of them were the greatest, but somehow even they fell short of conquering Australia in Australia. India's success down-under has reinstalled a new kind of self-belief in the Indian team, and the whole and sole credit should go to skipper Kohli.
MS Dhoni, the final piece from the "Golden Era", had announced his retirement in Tests in late 2014 and it was a shock to many including his successor. However, Kohli who was Dhoni's deputy for more than two years had picked up the right things which plagued Indian cricket, especially overseas.
Kohli, who is known to have an astute mind understood that the game was about small margins and percentages and India had to be fitter and stronger to compete against stronger sides in their backyard.
It all started when he emphasized the development of fast-bowlers and playing to win. Kohli made his team realize that it was Test cricket which was paramount and the team needs to improve its Test performances if Indian cricket has to be respected worldwide.
On that note, let's look at the five reasons which make Kohli the most influential Indian captain and arguably the most dynamic captain in world cricket.
#1 Walk the Talk
Kohli is known for his press conferences and confident statements before a big series. The two most popular words used by him are "intent" and "mindset." He has always walked the talk and never refrained from expressing what seems right to him. When others were struggling around him, he has shown them the way.
When India was set a daunting target of 364 in Adelaide, Kohli wanted to chase it down and not play for a dull draw. He scored a valiant 141, albeit in a losing cause, but probably played the best counter-attacking innings by an Indian in Australia.
Similarly, when the Indian batting order was struggling in England in 2018, it was Kohli who suggested to his batsman to have a plan for the first thirty balls, and assured them that things would get more comfortable. He scored 593 runs with two centuries and played his first thirty balls with a lot of intensity and focus, throughout the course of the series.