Virat Kohli Has Changed Indian Cricket Forever Like Brendon McCullum Did For New Zealand: Ajaz Patel

New Zealand spinner Ajaz Patel paid rich tribute to Virat Kohli’s captaincy after he quit as India Test captain last week and Patel even compared him to former New Zealand captain Brendon McCullum, saying that how McCullum changed the canvas of cricket for Kiwis, Kohli has done the same for India.

Kohli stepped down as captain a day after India lost their third Test against South Africa, thus conceding a 1-2 defeat in the series. He became Test captain in December 2014 and under him, India lost just two Tests at home and managed a historic series win in Australia in 2019. Kohli was also captain when India took a 2-1 lead against England in an incomplete series away from home.

Apart from this, under Kohli, India recorded a Test series win in Sri Lanka in 2015 after 22 years and then won in West Indies as well in 2019.

The Legacy And Direction You Leave Behind Has Forever Changed Indian Cricket: Ajaz Patel On Virat Kohli

Kohli had replaced MS Dhoni as Test captain in 2014 and then as a full-time captain in 2017. The Delhi batter led the Indian team to the top of the ICC Test team rankings and kept the team there for five straight years and even now, leaves the team at the no.1 spot, three rating points clear of second-placed New Zealand.

Ajaz Patel had recently created history by becoming only the third bowler in Test history to pick all 10 wickets in an innings, which came against India in Mumbai last year, in a Test in which India was captained by Virat Kohli. Ajaz, who hails from Mumbai, paid rich tributes to Virat Kohli as captain and compared him with the mercurial Brendon McCullum, under whom New Zealand flourished in all formats of the game.

“Congrats to @imVkohli on your tenure as @BCCI captain, the legacy and direction you leave behind has forever changed Indian cricket. Much like we saw @BLACKCAPS by @Bazmccullum,” said Ajaz in his tweet.

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Virat Kohli captained India in 68 Tests, winning 40 of them making him the most successful captain in Indian history. He is also the third most successful captain in tests in terms of most wins.

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