Batting maestro Virat Kohli opened up on being termed as a failed captain for not winning any ICC trophy during his tenure as India’s captain. Kohli led the Indian team in several ICC tournaments – 2017 Champions Trophy, 2019 ODI World Cup, World Test Championship and 2021 T20 World Cup. He managed to lead India in the final of 2017 Champions Trophy and inaugural edition of WTC but failed to lift the trophy.
The 34-year-old brought a fitness revolution in Indian cricket as he also turned the Asian Giants into a force to reckon with in Test cricket. He ended up as India’s most successful Test captain, leading the side to 40 victories, including holding on to the top-ranked spot in the rankings for 42 months. Kohli also enjoyed success as a skipper in white-ball cricket also when it comes to bilateral series.
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The batting maverick pointed out that a lot was made of him not winning any ICC trophy as a skipper despite reaching the final of two and semi-final of one ICC tournament.
“You play to win tournaments, but a lot was made of it, to be honest. I captained in the Champions Trophy 2017, I captained the 2019 World Cup, I captained Test Championship 2021, so after three ICC tournaments already I was..”
“I mean we lost the last T20 World Cup (2021), we didn’t qualify (for the semi-finals). We reached the finals of the 2017 Champions Trophy, semis of (the 2019) World Cup and final of the (2021) World Test Championship and I was considered a failed captain,” said Kohli in the latest episode of the RCB Podcast.
Kohli said that he doesn’t judge himself in terms of number of trophies in the cabinet but it’s the team culture which is more important to him.
“Look, I never judged myself from that point of view. What we ended up achieving as a team and as a cultural change for me will always be a matter of pride. A tournament happens for a certain period of time, but a culture happens over a long period of time. For that, you need consistency, for that you need more character than just winning tournaments,” he added.
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Kohli then mentioned that he was grateful to have won numerous accomplishments as a player, and insists on looking at what went right, instead of what went wrong in his playing career.
“I have won a World Cup (2011) as a player, and a Champions Trophy (2013) as a player. I have been part of a team that has won five Test maces. If you look at it from that point of view, there have been people who have never won the World Cup. I am always grateful for what I have.”
The 34-year-old further talked about being part of the 2011 World Cup-winning team and said that when things are meant to be, they are meant to be.
“I was lucky enough to be part of the team (in 2011), to be honest. And what led to my selection was also amazing. I had a run of great scores and I ended up being in the team. I never expected it to happen. When things are meant to be, they are meant to be. There were people in the team, such as Sachin Tendulkar – who was playing his sixth World Cup. And I was able to be a part of the team the first time, and be a part of the winning side.”
“If I had to look at what’s gone wrong in my career, but I look at what’s gone right and I am grateful for that. I am not mad for my trophy cabinet being full. To be, that has always been a by-product of how you conduct yourself, the kind of discipline you have, and how you are striving towards excellence on a daily basis, and I feel I have been very honest about that aspect of the game,” he concluded.
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