Virat Kohli is the right guy to take Indian team forward, states Ian Botham

Since taking over the reins in 2014, Virat Kohli has established himself as one of the best captains in Indian history in terms of pure numbers, with six Test wins more than MS Dhoni. Despite his success, Kohli’s captaincy has always met with an equal amount of criticism for his over the top style leadership. 

However, former English all-rounder, Botham has stated that the 31-year-old is the right person to take the Indian team forward. The 80s all-rounder also opined that Kohli’s aggressive style of taking the game to the opposition while being a constant support to the team is a game-changer. 

“Virat takes the game to the opposition, he takes a stand for his players. I would have loved to play against him. He is the right guy to take Indian cricket forward,” he told TOI, reported Times of India. 

Talking about the cricketing past, the 64-year-old heaped praise on the all-rounder quartet of the early 80s - Imran Khan, Kapil Dev, Richard Hadlee. The English all-rounder, thanks to his performance, was also made the country’s captain during the same era. 

"It was a privilege to play in that era. We spoilt the fans for around 10-15 years. I don't think world cricket has seen so many allrounders rubbing shoulders at the same time. In every tour I used to see what Richard has done, what Kaps (Kapil) has done, what Immi (Imran) has done. There was a great rivalry," he concluded.