Heaping praise on Virat Kohli for performing admirably well with the added responsibility of captaincy, former India batsman VVS Laxman feels the India skipper still has a lot to learn as captain.
Virat Kohli continues to fascinate the world with his unprecedented batting. Recently turned 30, Kohli is already the second leading centurion in One-Day Internationals. The right-handed batsman has slammed 38 centuries in just 208 innings.Not surprisingly, he is the fastest to achieve the milestone.
In the recently-concluded ODIs against Windies, he reached his 10,000 ODI runs. In doing so, he became the fastest to achieve the milestone, thus breaking Sachin Tendulkar’s record. He crossed the mark during his unbeaten 157 in the tied match in Visakhapatnam. It was his 205th innings and 213th ODI. On the other hand, Sachin had breached the mark in his 259th innings and 266th match. Kohli had also scored three centuries on the trot in the series.
In Tests, he has scored 24 centuries and 19 fifties. He averages over 54 in Tests and more than 59 in ODIs. In T20Is, he averages nearly 50.
His achievements as captain so far has been impressive too. Kohli is the second most successful Indian Test captain after MS Dhoni. He also led India to the final of the Champions Trophy and their first-ever ODI series win in South Africa. However, time and again, Kohli’s captaincy decisions have made many question his tactics.
And many feel that the Delhi star is yet to learn everything about captaincy. The latest to join the chorus is VVS Laxman.
“Virat Kohli’s performance speaks for itself. Even in the first Test match he captained in Adelaide in 2014 he went for the win and I was happy with the approach he showed. That also shows his personality which is very positive, aggressive and he is always looking to create an impact,” VVS Laxman told India Today.
“That attitude has rubbed on to the rest of the boys. With more success on overseas tours he (Kohli) will gain more experience as a captain. I definitely feel he is a good captain in the longer version. He relishes challenges and loves the responsibility,” he added.
He further praised Kohli for the way he has performed despite added responsibility.
“I have seen some captains succumb to the extra pressure but in Kohli’s case it has enhanced his performance and his reputation as a batsman since the time he started leading the team. I believe he is a good captain but still work in progress,” Laxman said.